Hound: Dog of War
by Kerberus Pup
Summary: After five years in a hell dimension Xanders coming home and nothing will ever be the same again, not even for him.
1. Prologue

_'Thoughts'_

{Other Languages}

**Disclaimer**: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters associated with it. I unfortunately am neither so only the ideas contained in this story belong to me.

**Chapter 0: Let Slip The Dog of War**

A figure stood shrouded in the shadow of the dead end alley, only the shine of his steel toed boots visible in the wan moonlight. Further towards the mouth of the alley a light began to glow in mid-air. As the glow intensified, it bled an arterial shade of red and warped the air around it, before blazing like the heart of a corona and blinking out of existence.

When the alley clears a man now stands glaring at the shadowed figure. His feet bare revealing claws where toenails should be, a pair of torn and battered jeans his only vestige of clothing apart from an old black windswept cloak hanging off of a shoulder, showcasing a scared and muscular torso. The hood of his cloak conceals his face, except for a few strands of hair that fall beyond its range. At a nod of the figures head the man turns and looks at the scene behind him. Across from the alley stands a warehouse, four men stand guard before it. A low growl is torn from his throat as he smells them; vampires _'where there's one leech, there's more.'_

The cloaked man walks towards the warehouse drawing the attention of its guards. One of the guards steps towards him, "Hey! This is..."

The guard looked down to see an arm sticking through his torso, eyes flicking back up before he turns to dust. Before the vampires remains hit the floor the man's already charging the stunned remaining guards.

***Back in the alley***

The shadowed figure watches as the cloaked man rips through the vampiric guards with bestial efficiency. The figure turns and walks into the shadows, fading with each step.

The whispered words "Cry havoc and let slip the dog of war." fill the alley before the figure completely vanishes.

**Chapter 0 End**

This is the first chapter second draft. May change it in the future, PLEASE review and let me know if it's any good.


	2. Chapter 1

_'Thoughts'_

{Other Languages}

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters associated with it. I unfortunately am neither so only the ideas contained in this story belong to me.

**Chapter 1: Perspectives or When Destiny goes out the window**

Inside the warehouse approximately 46 seconds ago

Eugene Grimp, Gene to his friends, had been vampire for 37 years. Out of those years he had worked for Kakistos, and by extension Trick, for 35 and overall he had no complaints. He got to eat who wanted and do what he wanted, OK so maybe not all the time but whiners got dusted, when they were lucky. Tonight Gene had helped capture the new slayer and her watcher so he decided a drink was in order '_Maybe a blonde.'_

As he walked towards the warehouse doors he smiled at the sweet screams coming from the upstairs room…..right before the door exploded into splinters and kindling as a body came flying through it, turning his world into nothing but pain as steel and wood impacted his body. His prone and pain filled body flew through the air before he slam into the ground and rolled like a rag doll, tearing open greater furrows in his body leaving only a bloody and broken mess before a chunk of wood in his torso shifted, thankfully piercing his heart and ending his undead life.

* * *

><p><span>Now<span>

As he soared through the remains of the warehouse door the being formerly known as Xander Harris smiled, '_It's good to get back to basics.'_, as he gauged his current situation. 37 vampires '_None older than a century.' _4 demons '_Tusks, grey skin, humanoid._ _Grappler Demons.'_ and 6 corpses. Seconds after he landed Xander was on the move, raking his claws across the eyes of the nearest bloodsucker, driving a spear-hand thrust through the next closest before leaning down as he dashed forward, grabbing a piece of re-bar off the ground and hurling it through the air.

As Xander came to a stop roughly at the center of the gathered horde of demons the re-bar came to rest in the eye of one of the grappler demons, piercing the back of its skull. His cloak settled against him, leaving one arm hidden, as the demon thudded to ground. The demons present all, minus the three he had dusted and one he had blinded, looked at the corpse before turning back to look at him. The tableau held, his cloak lightly beating at his ankles the demons staring at him in shock, until an industrious vampire, who was coincidentally near the back wall, yell "Get him!"

Xander flung himself into the fray leaving broken bodies and dust as he passed. He relished the destruction he was visiting on these mosquitoes, losing himself in the flow of battle. "AAAAaahhhhhh!" came a yell of pain that distracted him allowing a vampire to catch him with a punch to his sternum that launched him across the floor tripping vampires as he went.

"Yeah!"

"Finally!"

"All right Johnny!"

Cheers and accolades went up as he lay prone on the floor. The same vampire who had instigated the attack spoke as he strode forward "Somebody go and cut that Fuckers head off for the boss!" A large black vampire started towards the body holding a knife, only to come to a stuttering stop a few seconds later as a low, malevolent growling filled the air.

The remaining 17 vampires looked around warily, trying to catch what was making the noise, one unfortunately….did, eliciting a panicky whispered "Holy Fuck."

The others turned and followed his gaze to find the man they had thought dead on his knees, his hood fallen back, hair haphazard around his head as his eyes glowed a hellish red. As he rose to his feet, Xander uttered the first words since he had come back to earth "You should run. Now!", then he grabbed a hold of his power and shifted. The vampires watched as the area around the apparently non-human intruder warped and filled with shadow, which abruptly began to flow down and away revealing a dog-like creature roughly 5 ½ feet tall and 6 feet long, eyes burning red and a smile that showed all too many razor sharp teeth to be comforting.

Almost as one they turned and ran, only to find the beast upon them with a hellish fury. Seconds later the fight was over finding the demonic looking hound shaking dust from his pelt. As he heard the door to the upstairs room beginning to open he spun in place, flexed his powerful legs and leapt towards it '_Time to end this.'_

* * *

><p><span>One minute and 20 seconds ago<span>

Kakistos smiled as he circled the naked watcher standing in a tub of ice water racked with tremors trailing a curved ornate dagger lightly across her skin, all the while keeping his eyes locked on enchained slayers. "Freezing….as long as you do it correctly can be a wonderful tool of torture," he spoke as continued to torment the brunette slayer.

"It slowly freezes and explodes the cells, all the while hyper….sensitizing….the….skin." each break in speech accentuated by a harder press of the knife drawing blood, as the watcher struggled to contain her screams. He suddenly blurred burying the knife in the watchers shoulder drawing a shriek of pain from her and a glare from the slayer.

He would kill this slayer, eventually, but first he had to break her, she had disrupted his business for the past few months and that just wouldn't do. She was, along with her watcher, going to be an abject lesson for anyone or thing out there who had ideas of doing the same that Kakistos was not to be trifled with. As he opened his mouth to speak shouts and cheers went up from below interrupting him. He turned and glowered at his three lieutenants "Silence that rabble now or I'll have one of your heads!" before turning back to his 'guests'. Behind him one of the vampires went to open the door, "As I was saying bef..." was as far as he got before the room exploded into pandemonium.

* * *

><p>Diana Dormer, professor and watcher, stared in shock as one of the vampires attending the torture and subsequent murder of her and her slayer vanished into dust by what appeared to be a werewolf '<em>No,'<em> the analytical part of her mind supplied _'It's far too natural looking, discounting it's size of course, perhaps one of the greater beast?'_

The possibly greater beast landed on Mr. Trick, dispatching the other remaining lieutenant with an almost contemptuous flick of its tail, where it gazed at Trick a moment before snorting a discharge of air at him and stepping away, snapping one of Tricks legs almost as an afterthought.

The beast then stalked towards the shadows in the room all the while its incandescent red eyes never leaving Kakistos. "Well, what have we here." wondered Kakistos out loud as he turned to follow the beast's movements "I wonder whose pet you are?" not truly expecting an answer. She found it slightly odd that as he finished the beast seemed to give a low barking…laugh, only to have her mind come to a standstill as it did the impossible and spoke.

"What I am is your Death," came the harsh voice "and I answer to no master, parasite."

* * *

><p><em>'It talked, it *fucking* talking!'<em> was the thought that repeated through Faith's mind as she stared at the thing that had just busted into the room and erased two very dangerous master vampires from existence and threatened the vampire that they had answered to like it was nothing. She watched on as the beast and Kakistos blurred at each other, slamming around the room in a flurry of strikes, growls, yelps and screams, only to lose what little hope she had as they came to rest with Kakistos' hands around the beast throat.

"My death little dog I think not." said Kakistos as he slowly pushed its head back, trying to snap its neck "I will be here long after your dead."

A low laugh filled the air as the beast inexorable brought its muzzle (and she swore she saw little flames dancing around the edges of its mouth), to Kakistos face even as he tried to reverse its course. When it finally came face to face, so to speak, with the ancient vampire it roared "BURN!" before a jet of black tinged flame roared from between its jaws immolating Kakistos head and turning his body to ash leaving a headless skeleton to clatter to the ground.

The beast front paws landed on the floor and it padded toward her cracking its neck as it came, in an all too human action. Which did nothing to prepare her for reality warped around it and shadow flooded off it leaving behind a nearly 6 foot tall man in a cloak with glowing red eyes. '_Yum.'_ a part of her mind supplied as she took him in, tall, handsome, rugged and apparently a real *animal*. She flinched back as he reached towards her, her eyes drawn to the nearly inch long claws on his hands, at least she was gonna be killed by beefcake here and not an ugly psycho vamp, '_That's got to count for something, right?'_

**Chapter 1 End**

PLEASE review and let me know if it's any good. I'm trying to leak out information gradually so it might get confusing every now and then but it will all eventually be explained. **A/N: I was playing Three Days Grace – Animal I Have Become, when I was writing the Xander scenes and decided to show 'this animal I have become' and 'you can see the darkest side of me'.**


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters associated with it. I unfortunately am neither so only the ideas contained in this story belong to me.

**Chapter 2: Homecomings, Realizations and Wrath**

Outskirts of Sunnydale

Xander stood staring at the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign, a sign that marked the town and people he had spent years on and off striving to return to. It had taken him roughly a month and a half to reach here on his own, many a building, roof and car hood bore the marks of his claws between here and Boston. Boston….that brought him back to Faith…the vampire slayer. He knew that hoping that Buffy had survived the intervening years was a fools dream but it had been one he had held on to. Shaking off his melancholy he threw the hood of his tattered black cloak over his head and started into town he still had to see if the others were still alive, and if they weren't he'd send Sunnydale's demonic population as an Honor Guard for them.

The Sunnydale Hellmouth, the most -currently- powerful and active Hellmouth on earth, pulsed, welcoming home its wayward son…and demons all over the entirety of Sunnydale and its outlying regions shivered in fear and anticipation.

* * *

><p>After checking the houses of the Scooby's and finding them empty he headed to the Bronze, sneaking in through the roof access and using the shadows of the rafters to hide himself while he searched. Not seeing any of them he slipped back out into the night and headed for his last ditch bet, the high school library. Had he waited seven seconds later he would have seen Harmony Kendall enter the Bronze with a jock on her arm, making him realize things weren't as simple as he thought them to be.<p>

Confusion, joy, shock and anger swirled in Xanders mind as he stared down through the skylight of Sunnydale High School's library. There below him was the gang, Giles, Willow, Oz and Cordelia all gathered around the main table that they had –and apparently still- used to do research and meetings/war councils looking as if they hadn't aged more than a couple of weeks from when he saw them last. As big a discovery as this was it was not the driving force behind his condition, no that honor went to two other beings present in the room.

Buffy Summers and Xander Harris were present as well. Buffy was alive, he didn't know, and he didn't rightly care, how she was when he knew for a fact that there was another slayer in Boston. She looked a little more haggard than he remembered but he was sure it was her, he'd recognize that bored air with which she spun her stake and pretended to pay attention to Giles. However all that paled when compared to the fact that he (or something that looked like a teenage version him) was sitting down there with them, when he was up here looking down on them. As he prepared to jump down and get some answers he was interrupted by a voice he knew well.

"It's not home, I told you, no matter how much it resembles it or you wish that it was…..It's not home." said Kerberos. Turning around he saw him looking the same as always, black clothes that looked like they had been through a few fights, a pair of black steel-toed boots, and a wild mane of hair and pitch black eyes. Kerberos strode to the lip of the skylight and looked down. "I didn't bring you back from hell so that you could get back to your life, remember our deal. I get you out and you rip the plans of The Powers to shreds. This world doesn't need another Xander Harris, but it could use a Hound."

"You knew, didn't you?" whispered Xander, eyes burning red as he glared at Kerberos walking towards the edge of the roof.

"Yes." With that Kerberos vanished off the roof of Sunnydale HS no flash of light, no fanfare, pyrotechnics or wave of power. Simple here one moment and gone the next. Pushing his emotions and the remnants of the man who had been born Alexander L. Harris to the back of his mind, the being known and feared as Hound across a hell dimension returned his eyes to the interior of the library and began to plan.

* * *

><p>After the meeting had broken up he had followed Buffy as she walked Willow and the other Him home. He'd had to be more careful as the other Xander had snuck back out started tailing Buffy. A short while later they had reached the Crawford street mansion, a place he hated with a vengeance. He had hidden and waited as Buffy went inside and Xander (teen) had watched through a window before leaving with a look of anger and betrayal on his face. Once he was sure he was alone Xander (Hound) snuck up to the window and peered inside. What he saw caused his flames to devour a three foot span of earth behind him before he got a grip on himself. In the manor Buffy was talking to and kissing Angel(us), the cause(s) of his period in hell.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>*Flashback*<strong>

Xander watched as Buffy knocked Angelus to the ground and prepared to run him through, closing the portal and ending this nightmare. Before she could Angelus's eyes flashed white and he crumpled in on himself with pain. When his head came back up Angelus spoke and Xander knew Willow had succeeded, making what Buffy had to do a hundred times more painful.

"Buffy?"

"Angel?" at his nod Buffy dropped the sword fell to knees and hugged him, crying into his chest.

"What happened?" Angel asked as he leaned back still holding Buffy, before she could answer realization dawned on him and he looked ashamed of himself. Xander watched and waited as Buffy consoled Angel, she was after all about to send the man –loosely speaking- that she loved to hell the least he could do was give her a moment.

That changed when Angel rose to his feet and spoke, "Let's go."

Buffy looked puzzled "What?"

"We can leave, the powers won't let the world go to hell, and they'll send someone. Let's go, find somewhere we can be together, please." Angel spoke as he looked from Buffy to the portal and back again.

Xanders anger surged, the bastard wanted to run and leave the fate of the world to a group of beings that were willing to let Buffy die and the master rise unchallenged. _'No, this was his fault and he's going to end it even if I have to drag him into hell myself!'_ looking at Buffy Xander saw the hesitation as duty and desire battled within her and before he knew it he was moving. Surprised for a brief moment at himself he decided to end this now; he grabbed Angel and threw both himself and the vampire into the portal. The last thing he saw was Buffy's stunned face before the portal closed and he resigned himself to death.

***End Flashback***

* * *

><p>Shaking off the past he decided that Angel, even if it wasn't the Angel that he had known, would be first in Sunnydale to feel the bite of the Hound. After all it didn't do to leave a potential enemy at your back. Leaping to the roof of the mansion he hid himself and waited for his chance.<p>

Angel sat in the chair after Buffy left, wondering about not telling the others about his return from hell. He picked up a stray scent on the wind, an odor that he had come to know and hate, Brimstone. Leaping out of his chair he scanned the shadows and found….nothing. Calming himself down he went to sit, when he heard a voice "Hello Angel."

Whirling around, he saw a pair of blood red eyes shining in the darkness of the doorway to the kitchen, staring at him. "Back to pit with you." the figure that the eyes belonged to spoke, wearing a feral grin that reflected the fire that danced in its eyes.

The Crawford street mansion burst into a blaze of Hellfire and screams were heard for three minutes. A short time after the screaming stopped a figure stepped out of the inferno that had been a house revealing one Xander Harris (Hound) wearing a smirk. Throwing up the hood of his cloak he walked away from the blaze softly singing "Hate to twist your mind, But God ain't on your side, An old acquaintance severed, Burn the world your last endeavor…."

(**A/N:** The lyrics are part of the song 'Nightmare' by Avenged Sevenfold)

* * *

><p>The Scooby gang, the new additions of Faith and her watcher Diana present, stood arguing in the library of Sunnydale HS. "You should have told us!" Xander yelled at Buffy "For all you know he could be Angelus pretending to be Angel!"<p>

"He's not, he's Angel…" she yelled back "I can tell."

"Still, y-you should have at the very least informed me o-of his return Buffy, I am your watcher." said Giles as he polished the lens of his glasses.

"I still say we stake him just to be sure." Xander said trying to quell his anger at the situation.

"XANDER! We can't do that he's Angel and not evil so we can't stake him just because you're jealous and you don't like him." Willow babbled, trying to give Buffy some support.

"Jealous?, don't like him?, no Wills this goes far beyond that. This is about the fact that he could be Angelus and I'd rather not wake up to him trying to kill me one night and even if he isn't, with the way they were sucking face I wouldn't be surprised if he turned back up soon."

Buffy glared at Xander and began to shout "SHUT UP, I told he's not evil, he's Angel and he's..."

"Dust." came the word with the finality of the grave from the stacks as a cloaked man stepped out into the open. An inarticulate scream of anger tore from Buffy's throat as she charged the man, only to be batted away like a mild nuisance; slamming against the wall and falling unconscious. Shock ran through those gathered before Diana quickly recognized the man and the scars on his torso.

"Rupert, it's Him."

Giles glanced questioningly at Diana "You mean, Him Him?" only to receive a nod. "Oh Bloody Hell."

**Chapter 2 End**

Thanks for reading and remember Reviews are fuel to my muse. One point of clarification when both Xanders are in the same scene and acknowledge as such they will be represented as follows:

My Xander, the Main one — Xander (Hound)

The other Xander— Xander (teen)


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters associated with it. I unfortunately am neither so only the ideas contained in this story belong to me. This is the last time I put up a full disclaimer (until I start adding crossovers anyway) so from now on the disclaimer will refer to the ones in the first 3 chapters.

**Chapter 3: The Tapestry Burns part one: Announcements and Acts of War**

**Willow**

Willow had been surprised when the man had stepped out of the stacks, she had been angry when she realized what his statement about dust meant about Angels fate. When she saw the ease and contempt with which he knocked aside Buffy she did what was quickly becoming her first course of action when faced with a problem, she used her magic. Unable to recollect any spells at the moment she simply concentrated her magic into a wave of force and threw it at the man.

The wave flew forward, crashing through a stack of books sending them flying in all directions before slamming into the man and…..doing absolutely nothing. The man stood there, unfazed, not having the decency of even his cloak moving at her show of force. Slowly his eyes turned to regard her and before she could try to read them he vanished, then her world erupted into pain. She fell to the ground clutching her abdomen as she struggled to remember how to breathe, glancing up she saw the man standing beside where she had stood moments ago, drawing his fist back into the depths of his cloak.

As she finally started drawing in shaky shallow breathes the man's eyes flicked down to her and then just as quickly to Giles "Control your witch, watcher."

* * *

><p><strong>Faith<strong>

He was here, the man who had killed Kakistos and saved her and Diana's life back in Boston was here. After he had saved them he had helped them to a hospital, never saying a word and then he just upped and vanished on them. She had wanted to try and find him, but Diana had nixed that idea. It had become too dangerous in Boston, as vampires and other assorted demons fought a war to see which would fill the gap left by Kakistos, so when Diana got out of the hospital they had come to Sunnydale.

She had resigned herself to never seeing him again and here he was, she should have been happy but with the way he had casually backhanded Buffy all she felt was shock. Before she could take any action she both felt Willows power jump and saw as it flew at the man, where it did nothing. Her next shock came when he had blurred and dropped the redheaded witch with a punch to the stomach. Pushing any lingering feelings aside she prepared to attack the man when a hand fell on her shoulder. Looking back she saw Diana shake her head, and then he spoke.

"Control your witch, watcher."

* * *

><p><strong>Xander (teen)<strong>

Ever since this man had entered the library Xander had been bolted in place by an overwhelming sense of power and fear. At first he had thought it his own reaction to the man, but he came to realize that the bulk of this feeling came from the remnant of the hyena. It recognized this man as the greater predator and it was scared. This surprised him because not even The Judge had scared the hyena remnant; at most it had seen The Judge as a challenge and a potential threat. Xander was forced back to reality when he saw Willow drop to the ground clutching her stomach.

Forgetting his fear he rushed to Willow's side as the man said something that he didn't pay attention to. He reached Willow at the same time as Oz did, as he helped her to sit up Oz rubbed her back and told her to breath. His concentration was pulled back to the man as he began to speak.

"This was meant as a courtesy call, as we will be seeing more of each other. I didn't want there to be any misunderstandings, should we meet in the heat of the moment." Apparently finished with them the man turned and headed back for the stacks. Xanders anger flared as he rose to his feet, only to slam down to his knees as the oppressive feeling from earlier returned three-fold. Managing to raise his head he swore he saw the man smirk at him.

* * *

><p><strong>Xander (Hound)<strong>

Things hadn't gone the way he had planned, but he had stuck to one of the tactics he had learned; never show weakness, even to those you aide. Giles cold and angry voice stopped him before he entered the stacks.

"Is this how you show courtesy, by injuring two helpless girls!" turning his head Xander looked into Giles eyes and saw the tightly restrained anger and urge to do violence that resided there.

He look from the still unconscious form of Buffy, then to Willows sitting form and finally back into Giles eyes. "Reckless?...yes, helpless?…I don't think so," turning his head back around he vanished into the stacks "and they're still alive, aren't they?"

* * *

><p>He stood across the street from Willy's Alibi room watching as a vampire stumbled out, apparently drunk, and bumped into two large green skinned demons. The demons laughed as the larger of the two punched the vampire to the ground and then entered the demon bar. Deciding that now was as good a time as any Xander crossed the street, when he reached the floored and groaning vampire his left leg flashed out and embedded itself into the vampire's ribcage. He didn't even break stride as the vampire vanished in a blaze of black and red flames, and continued on his way to the door.<p>

Opening the door he surveyed the run down excuse for a bar; three vampires in the corner talking and drinking, the two demons who entered before him were nowhere to be seen but there were eight others of varying species. Behind the bar stood Willie, who after taking notice of him turned his attention back to one of the demons sitting at the counter. Waking over to stand next the demon Willie was talking with Xander spoke. "I need you to deliver a message for me."

Turning to the man who had interrupted his conversation the demon said "Piss off I'm not a fucking messenger." and turned back to Willie. Had he still been facing Xander he would have seen the half insane smile that bloomed on Xanders face, Willie fortunately/unfortunately had and backed up from the counter.

"Oh I know that, you're part of the message." as he spoke Xanders hand struck out, grabbed the back of the demons head and drove it into the counter top. When Xander let go the demon fell over backwards revealing the larger than average shot glass it had been drinking from, lodged in its forehead, blood and brain matter bubbling up into the glass. "Now, for the rest of you." said Xander as he turned to face the room.

The demons in the bar were frozen in shock until Xander spoke "Come on, I haven't got all day." The spell broken the patrons of the bar rose from their seats and attacked. As the first demon neared Xander grabbed its horns jumped up and drove his knee into its face, as he landed he snaked his left arm around its neck. Kicking out at another demon he used the force of the impact to snap the neck of the demon he was holding, surging forward he punch another demon in its knee shattering it. As the demon fell forward to grab its knee Xanders hand snapped up, his palm driving the demons nose into its brain.

Ducking under a punch he grabbed the demons wrist dragging it down as he powered into a standing position. Coming to his full height Xander flung the demon at the one he had kicked earlier, causing them to fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Spinning around to dodge the lunge of a sword he drove his elbow into a vampire's neck, breaking its spine –paralyzing it- and in the same motion he drove a knife hand into the throat of the demon that had tried to skewer him. When the demon dropped its sword to grab its injured neck Xanders leg lashed out once…catching the sword and sending it up into the air, twice…catching the injured demon in the face and sending it onto its back, three times…sending a chair flying into an oncoming demons face.

Taking a step forward Xander caught the falling sword behind his head and spun, decapitating the two vampires trying to sneak up on him. The fight paused for a few moments as the door leading into the back room opened revealing five demons, including the two Xander had followed in. Xanders hand flashed out towards the front door of the bar and the demon that had been attempting to sneak out went up in a pillar of hellfire. This distraction resulted in Xander receiving a hard punch across the jaw, throwing his back and his hood off.

"Finally, I was starting to get bored." said Xander as he shook his head allowing his hair to fall mostly out of his face. What little momentum the demons had gained was lost as they came face to face with demented grin still plastered on Xanders face and the hellfire that, literally, danced in his eyes. Deciding to get back to the fight Xander rammed the blade of his new sword through the chest of the demon that had slugged him. Streaking forward he flipped over the demon who had finally untangled himself from the paralyzed vampire, splitting its head in two uneven halves, his knee coming to rest in said vampires head, dusting it.

His arm lashed out, whipping the sword into the green skinned demon that had leapt at him, killing all forward momentum and dropping its limp body to the ground. When the second green skinned demon kicked at his head Xander rolled to the side and rammed his arm into its torso. As it looked down in shock Xander grabbed its spine and glanced up into its face before it was consumed from the inside out by hellfire. Xander put back up his hood and walked towards the door, casually stepping on and snapping the neck of the demon that was still cradling its injured throat and face.

As he reached the door he stopped and turned back to face Willie, who had hoped that he had been forgotten. "Oh, that message…tell them that there's a new predator in town and they've just taken a ***major*** drop down the food chain." With that he opened the door and stepped out into the night.

* * *

><p>Xander watched from the shadows the Scooby gang dealt with the participants of Slayerfest `98 hunted Buffy and Faith across the campus and its surrounding areas. They had eventually overcome their problems and emerged victorious, but it had been sloppy, slow and unimpressive. He wasn't going to stay on the Hellmouth indefinitely; he had a whole world of carefully plotted plans to fuck up after all, and he'd rather not have it open behind his back and bite him in the ass. This meant that the Scooby's had to change, or more precisely he had to change them.<p>

As he started deciding what to do he spotted his target fleeing down the street. As the vampire entered a grove of trees Xander dropped down next to him. "Hello Mr. Trick." He greeted as he grabbed the back of the vampires head and slammed his face into a tree. Mr. Trick was knocked unconscious in the ensuing spray of blood and teeth. Smiling Xander grabbed one of Tricks feet and dragged him off deeper into the park.

* * *

><p>Mr. Trick awoke to a world of pain and darkness. Shaking off his grogginess he realized that he was hanging from a crane by his wrists and his feet were in a pair of chains pinned to the floor by three heavy spikes. Glancing a little to the left and in front of him, he saw a crate which had everything from screws and knives to blowtorches and a surgical rib spreader strewn across its top.<p>

His attention was pulled away from these when a too pleasant voice spoke up. "Good morning Mr. Trick, I sooo missed you back in Boston." When the man the voice stepped out of the shadows and looked up at him Mr. Trick's eyes widened in terror. It was the thing he had run to Sunnydale to escape from; he'd recognize those blood red eyes anywhere. The man turned to and walked over to crate that held the tools.

"Let's have a little chat about any new employment you might have found…and any other tidbits that you might know about this town."

**Chapter 3 End**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 0 thru 3 for full disclaimer. I'm not making money off of this. There is a small nod to Inuyasha in this chapter (see if you can spot It.), I have also um….appropriated, yeah appropriated some Mythology for my own purpose. There are also quick little bits from things I don't own. The list is as follows: Charmed, Harry Potter, Hellsing and Supernatural.

**Chapter 4: The Tapestry Burns part two: Darker Days, Words of Warning**

So the Mayor was going to become a demon in a couple of months, and an old one at that. He had been thinking and planning how to kill the mayor before that happened and over the last three hours he had come to a decision. He was gonna let him do it…..and then he was going to kill him. He hadn't had a real fight since he got to this dimension, so this Olvikan demon was going to provide that for him.

Shifting his attention away from that line of thought he decided to initiate his plans for leaving Sunnydale. He'd need an identity to do some of the things he had planned on, and having something that says you exist makes life so much easier. Walking away from an empty warehouse that contained the blood splatter, clothing fragments and ashes of the former Mr. Trick he smiled, he knew just the nerd for the job. Pausing for a second he looked back at the warehouse, blew a breath in its direction and continued on his way to the house of his future helper.

Thirteen seconds later the daytime residents of Sunnydale could see an inferno of flames devour a building in the warehouse district.

* * *

><p><strong>City Hall<strong>

"Well, this is a tricky little pickle." Mayor Richard Wilkins III (II and I as well, but no one needed to know that.) pondered out loud as he perused the file on the new player in town, the one who called himself Hound. No one was sure what kind of demon this 'Hound' was but he'd already gained a reputation, his first night in town he had killed the patrons of Willies Alibi room and left a message. A message that he had proved to be true by systematically hunting down demons, a vampire nest here, a group of Fyral demons there and even a Chaos demon and of course vampires. Now this would have called for immediate termination, except he had reports on Hound's encounters with the slayer and her friends.

He had expected them to get along, however in the last two encounters the slayer had attempted to kill him, Buffy not the new one (and wasn't that a treat, two slayers in his town.). The first of these ended with her beaten, unconscious and left to be carried home by her friends. The second encounter….the things he had heard gave him hope for the younger generation.

* * *

><p><strong>*Flashback*<strong>

Henry Anders was not having a nice night; oh it had started off well enough. Him and two of his fellow minions had pick up a couple of girls and taken them back to the lair…to find it and their fellow vampires being torn apart by someone in what looked like a male version of the comic character Raven. They realized their error in not immediately running when the man ripped the head off a blond vampire and turned to them.

Jimmy turned and ran, his 'date' following quickly behind screaming her head off and Henry was about to follow their example when the man blurred and repeated his imitation of a boy pulling the heads off his sisters doll. Deciding he'd be safer with something in between this guy and himself he grabbed his intended victim for the night and the other vampire swiftly copied him. "H...h...how about we talk about this," the man's head tilted to the side and Henry felt a small spark of hope in his un-beating heart. "You hero guys are all about saving people so, we let the girls go and you let us go?" The man blurred again and Henry heard the telltale sound of a vampire dusting.

Looking to his left he saw the man's arm sticking clear through the upper torso of a girl who was no longer restrained by a vampire '_never did learn that guy's name_'. Speaking as he pulled his hand from the girl's chest, Henry saw a pair of blood red eyes that promised death as the man turned to him.

"I've always been more of an Anti-Hero."

Now before he was turned Henry had read his fair share of comics, so he knew the term anti-hero. In fact he'd liked the anti-hero's, namely Wolverine, they did what they had to do to stop the bad guy. He still remembered what Wolverine used to say ('I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn't very nice.') and this guy seemed to be an embodiment of those words. Taking a chance he threw the girl he had been holding at the man and ran for the nearest graveyard.

* * *

><p>He'd been running for five minutes, the first two he had thought he got away, but by minute three he had seen glimpses of something following him in the trees. A little after that he could see those red eyes and now, now he knew he was being toyed with. He just hoped that this guy kept toying with him long enough for him to get lucky and escape. Crashing through the tree line he skidded to a stop as he came upon the slayers facing off against a group of vampires. The two seconds he took to decide which direction to run in would be his last, as he darted to left the last thing he saw were those eyes.<p>

Xander smiled as the vampire dusted, it was nice to play with prey every now and then. He'd need to rest soon, that technique was never meant to be used that way and his arm still tingled a little. He had allowed his arm to shift into its shadow state like it did when he changed forms and pierced the girl, missing anything vital, and reformed it behind her ripping out the vampire's heart. Keeping the piece of his arm still inside her had taken some degree of concentration but it had been worth it to see that bloodsuckers face when he pulled his bloody arm (the blood had belonged to the vampire he had dusted, but why ruin the fun.) out of the girls torso…her fainting like the dead had just been the proverbial icing on the cake.

His smile was literally struck from his face when a punch threw him five feet through the air and into a headstone. "That's for last time," Buffy's voice floated down to him "and this is for Angel!" she screamed as she went to decapitate him. Waiting till the last second he bit into the blade, arresting its decent, and with a spin threw its wielder through the air and came to his feet.

Letting the sword drop from his jaws, now sporting a nifty impression of his fangs, he turned in time to sidestep Buffy's kick. Reaching under the outstretched limb he grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air, trapping her leg between them. "Get over it, that corpse was gonna be dust sooner or later…I just accelerated that outcome." Deciding to end it quickly he head-butted her twice, breaking her nose and knocking her for a loop. Letting go of her neck he grabbed her foot, preventing her from hitting the floor and raised a wall of hellfire nearby.

"You want to be with that leech so bad, join him in hell." He whispered as he threw her at the wall of flame. Before Buffy hit the hellfire wall two things happened swiftly after each other. First her forward motion rapidly changed into a sidelong one as Faith tackled her away from the flames, and second the wall of fire vanished. After making sure that Buffy was alright Faith stood up and glared at him.

"What the hell is your problem! First you save me and Diana and pull a vanishing act. Then you show up here and start smacking us around when we run into each other, and now you try to kill Buffy!"

He recognized the look he saw in the back of her eyes, hidden under the anger. It was the one he used to give Buffy, his Buffy. No good could come of that kind of hero worship, and there was no way he was going to imitate captain forehead by having a relationship with an underage girl. Deciding to nip that idea in the bud and get his point across he spoke. "Get this straight, what you and I do are two different things. You fight a holding action, trying to keep from being overrun. I'm fighting a war. One that I intend to win and I'll burn down anything or anyone that stands in my way. And in War nothing is as it first appears."

***Flashback Finish***

* * *

><p>Well as his father said, it was best to deal with a potential problem before it became an actual one. Pressing the intercom he addressed his secretary "Maureen, get me the Order of Taraka, please." Pausing for a second he pressed the intercom again "Maureen can you be a dear and get me one of those delightful tuna fish sandwiches from the diner across the street." It was good to have manners.<p>

* * *

><p>He'd hidden while he waited for Jonathon to enter his room, his long and –mostly- boring wait paying off as his target entered the room. He waited until 'Jono' had logged onto his computer before dropping silently to the ground. Approaching the working technophile he wiped all traces of anger from his face and voice "Hello Jonathon."<p>

The nerd turned around his eyes wide open in fear, as he sucked in air to scream Xanders hand covered his mouth. Using his free hand he shook his pointer finger in a universal sign for no "That won't be necessary, I'm here for a little bit of business." Reaching in his back pocket he pulled out a wad of bills that had been….generously donated….by a few civic minded vampires. When Jonathon's eyes landed on the money the fear in his eyed receded, replaced by greed.

"I have $2000 and I need an identity, you're good with computers and you want money. You see where this is going?" A nod of Jonathon's head and thirteen minutes later official looking documents were coming out of his printer.

"OK, these are your birth certificate, social security card and other miscellaneous documents." He said as he handed Xander the bundle of documents. "The worm should be done in two days and then you'll officially exist. Now about my money?" expectation in his eyes as he held out his hand. His eyes soon lost the expectation and filled with fear as Xanders hand wrapped around his neck, restricting his ability to breathe.

"Thanks for that," the documents had disappeared into his back pocket "now depending on how you answer the question I'm about to ask you, you're going to die." Business was done and now he was dealing with a potential problem. "There's a folder under your mattress entitled 'Buffy sex-bot', would you care to explain that." He might not particularly like this Buffy, but he wasn't going to leave something that could be used to hurt her or the rest of the Scooby's.

Panic welled in Jonathon's eyes as he struggled to speak around the hand compressing his throat. "W…w…warren." The grip relaxed slightly and he sucked in sweet life giving oxygen. "It was Warren's idea, Warren Mears. He's building it, I'm just doing the programing…please don't kill me please." babbled Jonathon as tears ran down his face.

"I said you were going to die; there was never any doubt about that fact, just how. You really should pay attention when people speak." Jonathon thrashed and struggled in his grip as hellfire cremated him from the inside out. "Not that you'll ever have to worry about that again."

* * *

><p>A huge draw of air and a fit of coughs were heard as Warren Mears head was pulled from the toilet in the bathroom adjoining his workroom. "Warren, Warren, Warren you're gonna tell me everything sooner or later…so why not spare yourself the pain and start now." Seeing the look of fearful defiance on the spluttering teens face, Xander shoved his head back into the toilet.<p>

"I wonder what a lathe would do to a human head?" Xander smirked as the thrashing of Warrens limbs redoubled.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunnydale Library, same time as Xanders <em>'visit'<em> with Warren**

Diana looked at the assembled teens gathering her nerve to speak. Giles was allowing her to be the lead on this meeting and while she wasn't nervous per se she was dealing with a group of fighters, still attending High School, who had at least three apocalyptic level events under their collective belts. "Ahem…after extensive research, we believe we may have ascertained the identity of our Hound." As the last word left her mouth all eyes in the room, excluding Giles, were focused on her with the intensity of a spotlight.

"What is he and how do I kill him." The conviction and eagerness in Buffy's voice made it clear she was still angry with their somewhat ally. She wasn't sure whether Buffy was angry about the destruction of her undead paramour or at the humiliation suffered at the hands of Hound.

"If he is what I believe he is I'm not sure you can." Pre-empting any questions she continued with her findings. "Now to understand just how dangerous he is you'll have to understand the Hierarchy of the Hellhound species. They fall into any one of three main classes," '_and another that we have no hope of defeating.'_ "The lesser Hounds, they range from the garden variety, usually labeled hellhound, that can be found in any credible text on demonology up to The Grim, which some view as a portent of death. The next classification are The greater Hounds; the weakest of these are usually employed by demonic beings to retrieve souls. The most powerful of these were said to guard wonders both great and terrible at the behest of gods."

"Finally, The High Hounds….these, these were legend themselves, and they were as far from hellhounds as a human is from an ant. They were and still remain Myth and Legend all over the world. Japans Inu no Taisho was said to have ruled part of warring Japan as a veritable god until his death at the hands of another supposed god, while Geri and Freki were reputed to have been constant companions of the king of the Norse gods, Odin the All-father."

Seeing the fearful looks of the teens, Diana was glad she had held back the last piece of information. As bad as The High Hounds were they were children when compared to the last class, The True Hounds. Cousins to The Hounds of God, god-killers and gods in their own right; among their number where Kerberos/Cerberus (guardian of the gates of the underworld) and Fenrisúlfr (Norse god of blood and wolves). "And after witnessing and hearing about his abilities I believe our Hound is somewhere between a very powerful greater Hound and a low-level High Hound."

Surprisingly, or not, Buffy was the first to recover from her anxiety over Diana's lecture. "So how do we kill him?" Turning to Giles she decided to let him explain.

"Buffy, if Diana's assumption is correct and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then we are dealing with something well capable of razing this town to the ground." There was no trace of his at-times usual stutter or cleaning of his glasses as he spoke. "Furthermore these beings are not inherently evil, nor has he attacked us or attempted to open the Hellmouth. If and when he does, then and only then will we fight him."

"Sorry to contradict you there watcher-man, but that dog needs to be put down A.S.A.P." Standing or rather leaning against a bookshelf was the balance demon Whistler. Pushing himself off the shelf he walked towards the Scooby gang, stopping –_coincidently_- well out of arms reach. "The Powers are angry. This guy has shifted the course of destiny, yours, Angels and the ripples from that are only starting. The Powers never foresaw him," '_and they still can't see him.'_ "He needs to be removed so that they can get the wheel of fate back on its proper track."

A vengeful smile crossed Buffy's face as she realized that she had essentially been given the go ahead to slay the thing that had murdered Angel.

* * *

><p><strong>Three Days later, Night<strong>

As Xander (teen) walked down the street he could swear that he was being followed, and maybe he was just being paranoid but he shifted his grip on the stake in his jacket pocket. '_Yeah right! This is Sunnydale, there's probably at least three demons out there, deciding which one gets to eat my liver.' _Turning the corner that led onto the block where his house was he came to a dead stop. Standing there, not ten feet from him, looking like something out of the sci-fi comics he used to read was the very being the Scooby's had been told they had to kill.

"They're gonna die…..and it's going to be your fault." The words froze his heart with fear, fear that was quickly thawed by his anger.

"I'll kill you before I let you lay a hand on any of them." The words resounding in cold assurance as he pulled the stake from his pocket. The man continued as if Xander hadn't said a word.

"The witch, Willow, the way she's going one of you is going to end up having to kill her. Buffy is too unstable, emotional and eventually something is going to capitalize on that and Giles in his grief will fall soon after. The rest of you, the second slayer, her watcher, the werewolf you'll die too. All because your too afraid." He was walking closer as he spoke. "Too afraid of your own darkness."

Searching his mind for what Hound could be talking about, he remembered one thing that he considered a dark part of him. The echo of the Hyena, the part that had somehow remained after the exorcism, the thing he fought against himself to leave alone.

"No not the hyena or the soldier, but the darkness that allowed them to remain in you while everyone else returned to normal. The darkness at the core of humanity that allow them to do terrible things, to allow the destruction of a loved one as a necessary evil, to slay ones brother and to kill a loved one to protect another."

"T…that's not me, I'm not like that. You don't know me!" he screamed in denial, a part of him accepting it none the less. A bitter laugh drew his attention before he found himself on his knees, Hound's hand gripping his head and his skull feeling like it was on fire.

"Know you, I am you!" Hound spoke as he let his power burn through his younger counterpart. "Every dark thought that's ever gone through your mind and those you haven't had the chance to think, every sinister impulse you've felt and denied. When you strip away the veneer of civilization...I'm…..what's..….left." Having finished destroying the useless influences he knew would be there (namely a lust spell, a perception spell –both cast by Willow-, a binding spell and an old entropy curse (aimed at the Harris bloodline)) he released Xanders (teen) head.

Seeing the glare that Xander (teen) was shooting him through the agony of his own….unique….version of cleansing, he felt a tinge of pride. Walking away Hound gave a piece of advice he hoped would be followed. "The Watcher guides well enough but they need a leader, an Alpha. Will you evolve or let them die?"

* * *

><p>He leapt back dodging as the very earth lashed out at him, a mad laugh bubbling from his lips. The order of Taraka was after him, they had found him at the empty house he had been staying at, and while they weren't the most powerful of adversaries they knew how to use the abilities they possessed. The corpse was already cooling on the floor of the house they had vacated during the fight (that one had gotten luck and left a slash across his chest), but the one he was currently fighting could become one with the earth and was using it as a weapon. There were four more Tarakans near the edge of the graveyard they were in and while he could probably kill them all with a good blast of hellfire, it would be a waste of energy. He needed to use his powers ever now and them or he'd lose his proficiency with them. Plus he was having fun; maybe he would make a chain to hold their rings when he was done.<p>

Slapping aside another dirt spike punched the ground watching as the shockwave travelled out, spitting around a patch of earth. "Gotcha." Leaping in the air he unleashed another technique in his hard won arsenal, five tendrils forged from shadow and will sped from the confines of the cloak and pierced the untouched area of earth. Using the grip of the tendrils he pulled himself to the ground and drove his arm into it up to his shoulder. Pulling his arm from the ground he held up the body of the assassin, which was oozing greenish black blood from several large puncture wounds. Ripping the signet ring from the assassin's finger he dropped the body and turned to the other Tarakans.

"Let's make this interesting," a deaths head grin adorning his face "the one who survives the longest gets to tell your bosses what happened here."

In another timeline, the one that would have happen before Hounds arrival, one of these assassins would have been dying at the hands of The Immortal at this very moment. This particular Tarakan possessed the ability to read the hearts of others and shape shift into the form of those she found there, an ability she had used many times to get close to or disorient a target. However Hound did exist here and she was alive, and the consequences of this would reverberate through the supernatural community and into the world at large.

As the Tarakans surrounded him, she shifted and assumed the form of a woman. Her new form stood at 5'9'' with striking green eyes and bee stung lips. Her honey blonde hair was cropped close to her head barely reaching past her ears, and on her left hand she wore a piece of string around her ring finger.

When he saw her all emotion left Xander as his memory went into overdrive.

***Flash***

Elia bumping into him as scouted a garrison base and trying to rob him at knife-point.

***Flash***

Pulling a girl from a slave pen and realizing he had seen her before.

***Flash***

Elia taking care of him as he recovered from being run through by a Polgara, him kissing her and being slapped in return.

***Flash***

The night they first made love to one another, days spent being happy and making plans.

***Flash***

Returning from a raid on an outpost to find the village burning. Elia's body bloody beaten and violated tied to a post at the edge of the village. Kerberos's offer, unimaginable pain, a Demon Lord and his bloodline ended; Vengeance.

These memories crossed his minds eye in a matter of seconds, and when he opened his eyes flames of blackest night filled them, rising off them briefly into the air then dying out. Xander threw his head back releasing a roar of anger and anguish that lingered in the air, living shadow coalescing on and around him. Patches of earth and grass erupted in the black flame, coffins exploding out of the ground as they were devoured by flame, the very air began to bend and warp and a swirling dome of the pitch black Hellfire encapsulated the graveyard blocking it from view.

The man, monster, living engine of death and destruction feared as 'The Hound' had truly come to Sunnydale in that moment and those who had incurred his wrath would find Hell truly followed behind.

Twenty-five minutes later the dome rushed down and forward into Xander as he stepped through one of its edges, revealing a charred and blackened landscape. His cloak still dancing like a living shadow and the ground blackening wherever he stepped Xander headed towards City Hall. Wilkin's had overstepped the boundaries of the little game they had been playing and now he was going to learn his error…and then he was going to Burn!

* * *

><p><strong>San Francisco <strong>

In the empty attic of The Charmed Ones the pages of The Book of Shadows flipped one past another at high speeds, before abruptly stopping. The page that it stopped on had a picture of a handsome man dressed in the height of Victorian fashion, at his side stood a large dog-like creature nearly as tall as the man himself. In flowing script the title of the entry could be clearly seen…..High Hound. Just as abruptly as it had opened, the Book slammed itself shut.

* * *

><p><strong>Las Vegas<strong>

"Such pretty fire he has, but you mustn't touch. No, the not-kitten is going to burn the world he is." Drusilla spoke, eyes clouded as she sat in a hotel room at a table containing the fixings for afternoon tea and the dead bodies of a newly married couple. The clouded look was replaced by another, this one filled with insanity. "More tea?" she question the corpses.

* * *

><p><strong>Magical London, Hogwarts<strong>

Professor Trelawney stood in an empty corridor eyes vacant and mouth slack. Slowly and mechanically as if relearning how, she began to speak. "Beware the kin of the Grim. From lambs to Lions he shall forge them and by his fires shall truth be shown. Serpent and aspirant king both beware, the Dog of War marches. Beware the Hound."

With a shake of her head and quizzical studying of her surroundings the flighty professor was once more in control.

* * *

><p><strong>London, Hellsing Manor<strong>

Deep in the bowels of the manor Alucard sat draped on a throne-like chair, arm thrown over its high back and a leg hanging over the chair arm. A short while ago he had felt the emergence of an enormous power, comparable to his own. He had initially been surprised and had not tracked its source, by the time he had remember the power was receding, not weakened just more tightly controlled. He had been able to track it the west side of the US, somewhere around California.

He had a general location and if the owner slipped again he would be able to find them. Now how to convince his master to allow him to search it out, a mad smile languidly spread on his face as he imagined the battle between him and this other power.

* * *

><p><strong>Charles, Wyoming<strong>

They had been fighting the Djinn for a couple minutes now, less than successfully. As Dean ducked under a punch the Djinn's eyes widened in shock and it turned its head to look at a wall, sensing the power from far in that direction. Seeing the opening Dean jammed his knife into the demons heart, killing it.

"Tough son of a bitch." Dean spoke trying to regain his breath.

"Yeah, and he had us dead to rights. So what made it stop like that?" Sam said as he limped over holding his ribs.

"Right now, I don't care I just want to get out of here, get a beer, a burger and hit the sack." Dean replied trudging towards the exit.

"What? Not gonna pick up a waitress this time?"

**Chapter 4 End**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: See any of the first 3 chapters for a full disclaimer. If you spot any grammatical errors feel free to tell me so that I can fix them.

**Chapter 5: The Tapestry Burns: Flames and Endings**

**A few minutes before the Dome appeared, Scrapyard**

It had been a few days since Xanders (teen) encounter with the Hound and as much as he hated to admit it Hound had been right. He had taken a look, a good long look at the self-proclaimed gang and he didn't like what he saw. Giles had the knowledge but he lacked the command presence that made him famous in his Ripper days, and his love for Buffy made him reluctant to refuse or gainsay her. And while there was a chance of bringing out some of his Ripper-like qualities, Giles loyalties were too divided between the fight, the council, the Scooby's themselves and Buffy in particular.

Buffy herself was one giant emotional contradiction. She had railed about the difference between Angel and Angelus during the soul incident and yet she had continued to refer to Angelus as Angel all the while. She had spoken, ranted really, about the unfairness of her being the slayer and then turned around and used her being the slayer as a reason for others to do as she wanted. It seemed as if she couldn't find a balance between the teenage girl and the slayer. All in all she was too naïve and bullheaded to lead.

And his Willow, if he was being truthful he was almost scared of her. Ever since re-ensouling Angel she had been digging deeper into the magic's, and that combined with her deep down desire/need to prove her worth to others and to herself could not lead to anything good. What had really brought it home was yesterday when the gang was finishing up with a meeting, he had noticed her slipping one of Giles's magic books into her bag. Couple that with her constant siding with Buffy (her first female friend) and her want to please her, i.e. sheep-like behavior, and you could see why he felt the way he did.

The others each had a flaw (or two) as well. Oz for all his calm, insight and above average senses was quick to side with his girlfriend; he was also more of a threat 3 nights of the month. Cordelia, his own girlfriend, was only there because it was –ironically- her best chance to survive the vampires and demons that kept popping up. The new Watcher, Diana, he could tell was relatively new to field work or at least being in command. She would gain the required experience of course, given time, he just wasn't sure if they would survive to see that day the way they were going.

That brought him to last of their group Faith, the second slayer. She came across as brash, bold and a bit of a flirt, but he was adept at reading masks…..he had worn one for most of his life. Whereas his mask was one of goofiness and immaturity, she had gone the opposite direction and worn one of false adulthood and sensuality, but every now and then it would slip and he would catch a glimpse of the girl within. Being a slayer as well Faith had a great amount of respect for Buffy and the things she had accomplished, thankfully it had been tempered by learning about some of less impressive and/or downright stupid things she had done.

The thing he found that he hated most of all though was what he saw when he had looked at himself. Here was someone who for all he had and the dedication that he claimed never really gave anything his all. No he didn't come from the best home life, or a family with a lot of money but that wasn't an excuse for his laziness. In school he had never really tried, and while he might not be on Willows or even Cordys level of intellect he was far more gifted than he pretended; he had after all matched wits, and on occasion studied, with two of the smartest students in the school from kindergarten up till now. He'd also failed to make use of the remnants of things that had been forced on him, namely the memories of the soldier and weakened echo of the hyena.

That was the reason he was here at the scrapyard in the middle of a school day instead of in class, he was going to use these to help in the slaying. Already Xander had found that with some meditation and concentration, mostly done in his room after patrolling with the gang, he was starting to recall some of the soldier's combative (or CQC/Close Quarters Combat) training and while it wouldn't miraculously make him unbeatable it would give him an edge. Speaking of an edge he had found that with a lot of effort and focus he could tap into the hyena echo, thankfully without being overwhelmed, and use it to enhance his speed and strength. He was careful when doing this though, he didn't know the full extent of the echo's power and didn't want to find out that the echo had been waiting for the perfect chance to take over, and find that he had become too reliant on it to stop it. His ultimate goal was to find a way to combine the two to become a force to be reckoned with, that was why he was here practicing his CQC.

However that was not to last, as Xander repeated the motions of an elbow strike the pain struck. It felt much like how he had felt when Hound gripped him mixed with the overpowering fear and pressure he had felt during their first meeting, except this was a thousand times a thousand times worse. It felt like his body was simultaneously trying to cook itself from the inside out and rip itself apart at the seams, half out of his mind with agony Xander found a part of himself that instead of being destroyed by the power flowing through him was pulsating with it. A need to escape from the hurt, and to survive, Xander latched onto that part…..and at the moment the already murky destiny of the Xander Harris native to this reality became even hazier.

For 45 minutes, not that he knew how long it was, Xander screamed and writhed on the floor, power washing over and through him as his own newly (at least to his knowledge) awakened power caused flames to entirely cover the ground five feet in every direction from him. When it was over Xander lay on his back in a large circle of charred earth and molten metal, a few flames still licking at the ground, taking quick shallow breaths that revealed newly lengthen canines – still within human norms. Freshly strengthened muscles twitching at random as the toughened bones in his grasping hands protested their movement and reinforced fingernails reflected the light of the dying embers.

An hour when Xander had finally awoken he opened his eyes revealing that unlike their overall brown, the edges of his iris' were now green.

* * *

><p><strong>City Hall<strong>

Mayor Wilkins felt the wards around City Hall shudder for a moment and then buckle. Not an easy thing to do, even if they were the weaker of his wards they were a great deal more powerful than what your average mage would be able to create. Moments later a booming bellow of "**SORCEROR**!" shook the building and the screaming reached his ears. Electing to be cautious, even though he was already in his hundred days of invulnerability, he gathered some of his power sat back and prepared to meet his 'visitor'.

* * *

><p>As Xander (Hound) entered the building he felt wards trying to halt his progress, a trivial effort of will and power later they were no more. He didn't pay any mind to the security or the secretary at the front desk as he walked into the lobby. "Excuse me sir, do you have an appointment," he wasn't here for them; he was here to deal with an uppity little warlock. "….you can't go back there without an appointment…..security!"<p>

Xander was taken by surprise when one of the guards actually pulled a gun, when the guard shot at him he got angry. Not that the bullet ever made contact with him, it was devoured in the heat of the flames that still danced across his body, but an attack was an attack and had to be answered. As he went to retaliate, the more demonic guards entered the scene and he changed his mind, he didn't have time to play with any lackeys, so he called to his flame and told it to devour. Flames as black as a moonless night, rushed from the bottom of his cloak and flowed out, engulfing and consuming everything in its path in its quest to fulfill it master's wishes. Then the screaming began. Human, demon, living or dead it didn't matter if it was inside the building the flames incinerated it, climbing up walls and stairwells, surging down elevator shafts and secret passageways until the interior of the Sunnydale City Hall structure was covered in flame.

All except for one room, the office of the honorable Mayor Richard Wilkins III, there the flames stopped and turned back as if they were leaving this room and its inhabitant for their master. Announcing his presence Hound screamed "**SORCEROR**!" as he walked through the flames, which parted in his presence.

* * *

><p>As the doors to his office were smashed in and off their hinges Mayor Wilkins readjusted his folded hands on top of his desk, put a smile on his face and greeted the man, he assumed was Hound, who had just so dramatically entered his office. "Well hello there. I was wondering when we would meet in person, mint?" he said pointing to a bowl of the aforementioned sweets on his desk.<p>

When his 'guest' surged forward he was ready for him and unleashed bolt of lightning, which knock Hound head over heels through the air and slammed him into the far wall. Standing Wilkins rounded his desk and ambled to Hound as he tried to rise, throwing bolt after bolt of lightning as he spoke. "That was very rude, here I am trying to be civil and you throw it back in my face. The younger generation these days, no manners at all. We'll just have to correct that." the pleasant guise on his face never wavering.

Throwing another bolt, he was surprised when it was met by a hand covered in Hellfire and a low feral growl.

* * *

><p>Hound berated himself as the bolts struck him again and again. He had been stupid; letting his rage control him had made him act without thinking, and allowed Wilkins to get the better of him. With a growl at his own stupidity he intercepted the incoming bolt with his hand and a subtler use of his flames. Regaining his feet he glared at the surprised visage of the mayor. The surprise was quickly replaced by his ever present grin "Aren't you full of surprises."<p>

"If you liked that then you'll love my next trick." Xander declared as shadow tendrils erupted from his cloak and streaked towards the mayor. With a wave of his hands a barrier appeared between the mage and the tendrils, causing them to ricochet off it…only to change course and attack again as he dropped his shield, forcing him to hurriedly put it back up. Upping the ante Xander combined the tendrils into one large tendril and rammed it through the mayor's shield and the mayor. Imagine his shock when the mayor merely pulled himself off the tendril and looked down at his own chest as the hole rapidly healed.

"That hurt, and you ruined a perfectly good suit." Wilkins said as he lifted the jacket away from his chest, showcasing his ruined clothing. "Now, I hope you've seen the futility of trying to kill me. I could use someone…." Wilkin's comment was cut off as Xander wrapped his hand around his throat and squeezed.

Leaning in close to Wilkins face Xander growled out "Immortal or Invulnerable it doesn't matter, I…will….kill…..you." menace and assurance of his pledge filling his eyes. As Richard Wilkins looked into those crimson eyes he felt a feeling creeping up his spine, one that he hadn't felt since that first deal for his soul, for the first time in 100 years he felt fear….and he didn't like it.

With a surge of pure magic he threw Hound off of him, through the air and through the wall where he was swallowed by flames. For a moment it appeared as if Hound had perished in his own flames and the fight was over, then the laughter started. It started off much like someone trying to keep their laughter to themselves and failing, quickly rising to resemble that of someone who should be retrained by a strait jacket and thrown in a padded cell. The laughter slowly receded as Hound emerged from the flames, a deaths head grin on his face and an unholy gleam in his eyes.

"You know, I wasn't sure how to kill you, I was just going to rip you apart and slow roast you until I did. But that little temper tantrum of yours gave me and idea." Coming to a stop just in front of the wall he had recently gone through he took in the confused look in Wilkins eyes. "Don't worry, I'm still gonna rip you apart….it's just gonna hurt a hell of a lot worse." Closing the distance between them Xander plunged his hands into Mayor Wilkins chest, finding what he was searching for he pulled.

When Wilkins had blasted him through the wall he had felt it, the influence of something else, many something else's present in his magic. It had taken him a moment to put it all together, what he had felt were the bonds signifying each of Wilkins demonic deals, deals that strengthened and empowered Wilkins. Sending his metaphysical senses coursing through the mage he had quickly found one of the bonds, grabbing ahold he pulled at it, using his power to burn through the link holding the bond to Wilkins. As he drew his hand and the demonic power that had resided in the mage he saw understanding and terror flash through Wilkins eyes as the mayor started to struggle and throw his own power against what Hound was doing. Releasing the energy he had torn from the mage, he plunged his hand back into Wilkins chest and searched for another bond, pitting his power against Wilkins all the while.

* * *

><p><strong>Seven blocks from City Hall<strong>

Buffy and Willow walked towards City Hall and the powers she had sensed raging there, on the lookout for someone seeing them skipping class. It had started earlier in the day during one of their free periods. They had been in the library when Willow had fallen out of her chair holding her head and groaning in pain, a few minutes later the pain had passed and Willow had shaken off her concern, claiming it a really bad headache. Later during class, Buffy had felt something brushing up against her slay-dar but couldn't figure out what it was. When she had tried to get Willows attention she saw the other girl once more cradling her head, only this time blood was trickling out of her right nostril.

Buffy had gotten Willow out of class by saying she was taking her to the nurse. Once they had gotten far enough away from the class and she was sure no one would overhear, she had demanded that Willow tell her what was going on and wouldn't take 'headache' for an excuse. Willow had finally given in and told her about the power she had felt at first and then the two clashing ones she had felt moments ago, when she had said that one reminded her of how Hound had felt Buffy's mind was made up. A not too small amount of persuasion and cajoling had resulted in Buffy and Willow sneaking out of school, with Willow leading the way to where she had thought the she felt the two warring powers. Neither girl had noticed Faith as she too left the school, glad to have a reason to ditch school, heading in the same direction as them.

On the way Buffy had been deep in thought, if whatever Hound was fighting was powerful enough it could seriously injure or even kill him. Not that she wanted that, no she wanted to kill him herself –the way she had been pushing herself during training was proof of that- but if it happened, so be it. Nevertheless if Hound was injured and survived, she was going to do her best to remedy that. Willow's gasp had broken her out her musing and for an instant she didn't understand why the redhead had gasped, then she saw where they were heading. They were walking towards City Hall, the place where the current big bad, the immortal (and currently invulnerable) Mayor Richard Wilkins, was residing.

The most dangerous and powerful threat the Scooby gang had ever faced and the target of her own personal vendetta were apparently in the same place and maybe even trying to kill each other. A smile graced her face as it dawned on her they were probably trying to kill each other, it turned slightly feral when she remembered that the mayor was invulnerable and would most likely kill Hound. They did after all have a plan to deal with the mayor come graduation day, but she had hit a dead end trying to find a way to kill Hound.

Turning to share her thought with her best friend she saw that Willow was paler than usual, but before she could find out what was wrong they were blown off their feet. City Hall, under the stress of the building demonic magic's and otherworldly power, had detonated in a blast of flame, power, force and light. The initial explosion had erased City Hall, wiped out everything for almost three whole blocks and created a growing network of cracks in the street. The resulting shockwave damaged buildings, shattered glass, threw people, trees and cars through the air and caused the cracks in the street to rip open, swallowing sections of the street and sidewalk for five blocks.

After Buffy and Willow had recovered they had waited, waited as police cordoned of the area, waited as firefighters battled fires that had been started by the explosion and waited as EMT's helped those that they could. Through all that waiting what they had expected never happened, no one had emerged from the wreckage. Buffy and Willow celebrated as they realized their biggest problems had been wiped away in one fell swoop. Neither noticed as a slightly worse for wear Faith stood near an overturned SUV, stoic faced as she tried to hold back the tears that slid down her face.

* * *

><p><strong>Four days later, abandoned house<strong>

He had barely survived, pitting himself against the mayor, his power and the demonic energy that hung in the room had nearly destroyed him. Luckily he was one stubborn son of a bitch; he had put all he had into one last push against the mayor's own power and the power that had made him invulnerable. The resulting clash of power had reacted with the still lingering demonic energy he had already extracted from the mayor and caused an explosion. The blast had vaporized the mayor, seriously injured him and destroyed his pants but not miraculously his cloak.

Beaten and battered, but not broken he had dragged himself through the barely and in some cases not standing tunnels. He had passed out twice along the way, but he had made it back to the empty house he had been staying in. Once there Xander had somehow found the strength to drag his abused body down into the basement and barricade it before it finally gave in to its injuries.

He had awoken two days later, healed and a little sore. A search of the house had produced a black pair of jeans, that while a little snug would fit. He had spent the next day gathering up the things he had been preparing to use after he left Sunnydale, his falsified documents, seven thousand in cash from assorted vampires and demons, a black duffel bag containing various gold and silver items (some magical, some not), a pair of black steel-toed boots and a dark grey, silver and black Harley Davidson FLSTF Fat Boy registered to one Alexander Hound.

As he now stood in front of his bike, he wondered how he was going to hide his cloak. He needn't have, because as he thought what to do the tattered old cloak retracted into itself, warped and slid over his upper torso until he was wearing a dark black leather jacket that looked like it had survived a few crashes. Wonder and surprise in his voice as he spoke "Bedrin always said you were more than you appeared."

Revving the Fat Boy's engine Xander took off on the road out of Sunnydale, throwing a fireball at the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign. Rumors were already spreading among the demon community of his 'death' and he had a lot of demons to dissuade of that notion, Sunnydale could take care of itself.

[Cue 'Indestructible' by Disturbed]

**End**

After this chapter I'm probably gonna swing back between Xander/Hound and the Sunnydale gang so it doesn't get too monotonous and so you can keep track of how things in the Dale change.

I will reveal the story behind Elia (though you can probably already guess) and Bedrin sometime later in the story.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: See any of the first 3 chapters for a full disclaimer. All you need to know is that none of its mine.

**Sunnydale: Discussions, Lightning and Flame**

_Sunnydale High School Library, three weeks after Hound fought the Mayor_

**Xanders POV**

"So we are in agreement then, Buffy, Willow and Oz will start from Nylund Cemetery on the East end of town and work their way around the others until she circles back to here. While Faith and Xander will be doing the same except the two of them will start at Erikson Cemetery on the West side." Giles stated as he resettled his glasses on his nose "any questions?"

This was it; he had noticed something recently that they should have already talked about, something that could, and would, bite them in their collective asses when they least expected it. So now he was going to shine some light on it and start showing them, and to himself, that he was more than comic relief. After all if he intended to eventually lead them, they had to respect him or it would be doomed to fail. Steeling himself Xander took a deep breath and spoke up.

"Yeah, what are we going to do about the situation?" he was met by questioning glances, so he decided to elaborate before anyone could interrupt, and kill his confidence. "You know, now that Hound and Wilkins are dead."

"What do you mean? They're dead, we partied, situation resolved." Buffy said with ease.

This was closely followed by Willows agreeing "Yeah." and a nod of Oz's head. Faith and Diana were notably silent. Giles however seemed at least willing to hear what he had to say.

"Xander, what problem does the deaths of Mayor Wilkins and Hound cause?"

"It's just that every time we put down a big bad there's another, more dangerous one ready to stir up some trouble. But this time we didn't just lose a big bad. Wilkins was the head honcho Numero Uno, he basically controlled Sunnydale, and now that he's dead there's a power vacuum." As he spoke Xanders voice gained confidence, his eyes switching from one person to another. "And Hound, he wasn't here long but he had a big reputation. There were a lot of demons trying to stay under his radar and stay alive, and now they don't have to."

"Bloody Fucking Hell!" The eyes of the entire group were turned on Giles at his outburst. "How did I miss this?" as he spoke he started polishing his glasses.

Being the only other adult in the room Diana spoke up. "Rupert, what did you miss?"

The agitated form of Rupert Giles started pacing, alternating between polishing the lenses of his glasses and running his hand through his hair as he tried to organize and convey his thoughts. "Xanders right, but it goes far beyond what he said. The Mayor held this town under his control for almost a hundred years and now that he's dead there's a void, and sooner or later some demon or vampire will get it in their heads to take over. And the growing factions will eventually clash."

Faith interrupted, "So some vamps and demons off each other, what's so bad about that?" inquiry in her voice.

"Vampires, most demons and master vampires use them as foot soldiers, cannon fodder. Unless the fight ends in total and complete victory for one side, then…"

"The streets will run red with blood." Diana's wavering voice broke in as understanding dawned on her face.

Seeing the confusion the faces of the teens present, except Oz –who maintained his ever present calm- and Xander –whose face was filled with dread-, Giles elaborated. "As they kill each other they'll need to replenish their numbers, so each side will turn more and more vampires. And when they aren't fighting, those vampires will need to feed. In short the death count will be steep."

"On top of that, there are those demons that stayed away because of their fear of the mayor. Once they find out about his demise they will in time come here, either adding to the power struggle, attempt to open the Hellmouth or for other nefarious reasons. And then there's the death of Hound."

"W-why's that bad I mean maybe some more demons come out into the open but they're going to do that anyways right?" Willow questioned/babbled.

"Reputation." said Xander as sat hunched over the table, his hands grasped together in front of his face. "Hound has a reputation as one scary son of a bitch."

"Not the way I would have phrased it, but the sentiment holds true. Hounds reputation was, and still is, quite dangerous. First day on the Hellmouth and he starts a fight in a demon bar, kills all his opponents and issues a challenge to the supernatural community at large." Giles picked up the explanation "Then he goes on to wreak havoc on the vampires and demons of this town, with virtual impunity. There are most likely demons out there that would want to challenge him as a point of pride and until they learn of his demise, maybe even after still, they will be coming here. Then there are the demons that went to ground when Hound came to town, they will undoubtedly be coming out of hiding upon news of his death."

"Demon-apalooza." Oz said in his normally cool voice.

"U-u-um I need to…to try and get a handle on this, maybe get some reinforcements. You children go on patrol but head home once you're done. And please be extra careful, we don't know if any of these scenarios are already in play." Giles said as he headed into his office.

After Giles disappeared into his office the gathered people looked at each other before Diana spoke up. "You guys go on; I'll stay here and look after him." The teens nodded and left the library. Giving a last look at the door they had just exited she turned and walking into Giles office to see if she could offer him any help.

* * *

><p><em>Restfield Cemetery<em>

As Faith and Xander walked through the graveyard she would take a momentary glance at him every now and again. He had been changing recently but that wasn't the whole reason she felt compelled to look at him, it was because of his resemblance to Hound that apparently only she noticed. She still remembered the first time she had noticed the similarities.

**Flashback**

She had been walking for almost an hour, nowhere in particular; she just needed time to get her thoughts and herself in order. Hound was dead; she had not long ago watched as the building she had felt him in was completely destroyed, along with a large portion of the area around it. She hadn't known him long or well, but she could tell that he had seen the darker side of the world that she had. But now he was dead and she would never get to talk to him about it.

A groan of pain caught her attention, pulling her from her gloomy state. Once more on her guard and looking around she spots a figure leaning heavily on the side of a building and hope soars in her chest. The man is tall, well-muscled (as can be noted by the muscles visible at the large rips and burns in his shirt) and his long hair falls in his face. He lifts his head, causing his hair to shift revealing his face and for a few moments he's alive again and she's happy, then reality sets in. It's not Hound, she'd looked at Hound enough to know him on sight alone, even covered by his cloak, and this wasn't him.

While the guy did resemble Hound his hair was a dark brown, not the pitch black of Hounds and it was too short. His torso, what she could see of it, wasn't scarred and he was wearing a shirt (something she'd never seen Hound do). What really gave it away though was his face… it was too young, and his eyes were a chocolate brown, not the cold crimson she had seen so many times in her dreams. "Uhg, *groan* Faith?"

Recognizing Xanders voice she rushed to him and slung one of his arms over her shoulder, to help him stay standing. "What the hell happened to you X?" He winced as she readjusted her grip on his waist.

"Oh just the usual," Xander said through gritted teeth "ditched school, got knocked unconscious and woke up in agonizing pain." He gave what he hoped was an easy smile, which came out as more of a grimace "just another day in the life of an intrepid demon hunter."

**End Flashback**

Since then she had noticed small changes in him, while he still told jokes, there were a lot less, he paid more attention in meetings and at times the air around him seemed to be charged with an aura of danger and violence. The moments never lasted long but she had become good at catching them, like right now. Xander was acting like he wasn't worried but she could see his eyes taking in his surroundings and his head swivel in the directions of different sounds, it reminded her of some of the predators she had seen on those nature shows….or herself.

Her musings were cut short by the sounds of an argument and a brief struggle. Dropping into a crouch she crept towards the sound, Xander following close behind. Pushing some shrubbery out of the way she saw a woman lying on the ground staring up a large demon with a sword on its back.

"You're little magic's won't work on me human, now prepare to die at Lagos' blade." The demon, Lagos apparently, growled out in a low voice as he pulled the sword from his back. Leaping forward to protect the woman Faith landed on top of Lagos dropping him to the floor, trapping his arm and sword behind his back half in the scabbard. "Uh-uh big boy, that's no way to treat a lady." She said smirking down at the surprised demon. Lagos surprise was quickly dispelled as he somehow gained enough leverage to toss Faith off of him and rose to his feet.

"Slayer." He slowly snarled as Faith used her flexibility to flip in mid-air and land on her feet. Reaching behind her back she pulled out a knife and gestured at the demon.

"Let's dance, I'll lead." and with that she charged at Lagos and the fight was on. As Faith and Lagos attempted to cut the other like a couple of deranged butchers, Xander snuck over the woman to see if she was ok. A few feet from her he saw her struggling to regain her footing and gave a sigh of relief. Bending down he grabbed one of her arms and threw it over his shoulder as he helped her to stand up.

"Let go of me, unhand me this instant." The woman demanded in a decidedly British accent, struggling to free herself.

"It's ok, we're here to help, you're gonna be fine." Xander said as he tried to calm the struggling woman down. "Great, a female Giles." he grumbled low under his breath.

"You know Giles?" apparently not low enough "I'm here on a mission from the council, trying to retrieve an evil artifact before that demon." She nodded towards where Faith had just dropped kicked Lagos to the ground.

While Xander had no great love for the council, between them and a demon he'd side with them. "Ok then, while Faith holds him off, we'll go get you're evil ancient thingy." Xander said as he watched Faith barely duck a swing of Lagos sword. "Now where…."

"No!" a look of panic crossed her face, which Xander missed as he followed the slayers fight. "There's…..a spell on the item…..and it takes time to break it, so I need you to stay here and help hold off that demon." A quick nod from Xander who promptly ran towards the combatants, drawing a combat knife from the back loop of his jeans, and a look of smug satisfaction crossed the woman's face before she headed towards an old mausoleum.

* * *

><p><em>Several minutes later<em>

Faith grunted as she parried a strike from the demon swordsman and quickly back-stepped as Xander sliced at its shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood. When the demon started raining blow after blow at Xander (who was dodging by the skin of his teeth when he could and blocking with his knife when he couldn't), Faith kicked at the back of its knee drawing its attention back to her. This had been going on for a couple of minutes now, the demon would try to kill one of them and the other would strike when its attention was elsewhere. However this was a stopgap at best because Lagos seemed able to brush off smaller degrees of pain and his wounds were slowly healing as they fought.

"Stand still and FIGHT you cowards!" Lagos bellowed as he shook his sword at them.

"Um…..I'm gonna have to say no."

"What he said."

"I will kill you, I will retrieve the Glove of Myhnegon and you pathetic humans will cower in fear at my power." Lagos sneered at them as he stepped forward, causing a bruised and battered Xander and less so Faith to fall back into fighting stances.

"Taou Friem!"1

A bolt of lightning streaks through the graveyard hitting Lagos in the back and causing him to scream in anguish, moments later he explodes. As Xander and Faith look at the spot where Lagos not so long ago stood the woman came into view.

"Well that worked beautifully." said the woman as she stroked something on her arm, hidden by a combination of shadow and moonlight.

"First of all I'm gonna have to say, Whoa! Second, did you get it?" Xander said still a little awed at the display of power he had just seen.

"Yes thanks to you I did." She says being to smile maliciously "a word of advice boy: you're an idiot." Her hand slowly begins to rise to the sky "And when you get to hell you can tell them that Gwendolyn Post sent you there. Taou Friem!"

As Xander stands shocked at the revelation and betrayal Faith leaps at him, knocking them both out of the way moments before a bolt of lightning strikes the ground where he had just stood.

Rolling to her feet, a shaken Xander doing the same behind her, Faith glares at Mrs. Post. "What the hell is your problem lady? We save you from being turned into sushi and you try to kill us?"

"My problem, you want to know what my problem is?" Mrs. Post asked as she clenched the glove of Myhnegon on her arm. "My problem is those self-righteous bastards back at the council, always hording power and lording it over everyone else. 'You've got to pay your dues Gwen.', 'you're just not ready yet.', 'It's too big a responsibility for someone like you.' well I've got power now and I'm gonna show those bastards."

"And you little slayer sluts too," This confused Faith because she'd never met the crazy bitch trying to kill them before tonight. "All that power, all that possibility and there you are sucking up to those old men and bending over when they tell you like a good little doggie. But see I'm gonna change that, I'm gonna kill you, the other one, you're watchers and anyone else who gets in my way. And then the others will see we don't need you…..the age of the slayer is over. Taou Friem!"

Faith and Xander leapt in opposite directions as once more lighting impacted the earth where they had stood, leaving behind a smoking crater.

"Ok I vote we put crazy here down."

"I'm way ahead of you on that one X-man." Faith said as she ran towards Mrs. Post, only to be forced to dodge as a bolt of lightning came towards her. This happened two more times, with each one forcing Faith to retreat further from her target, before Xander decided to try to help.

For a couple of minutes he and Faith were able to slowly gain ground as they moved closer to Mrs. Post while dodging her attacks, that is until Xander was a little slow dodging a lightning bolt and got the shock of his life as the bolt skimmed his side.

"One down, one more to go." Mrs. Post said looking at Faith, who was glancing at Xander where he laid on the ground, his body shuddering ever now and again. "Taou Friem!" and with that the fight was back on.

Through luck, guile and agility Faith managed to get within punching distance of Mrs. Post unfortunately the Glove of Myhnegon wasn't just for show. Post took a punch to the stomach and another to the face that staggered her backwards, the next strike she blocked with the glove and the fourth she caught.

"You slayers, so predictable." Mrs. Post said as she squeezed Faiths fist, causing muscle and bone to bend and scrape against each other and drawing a grunt of pain from her until the bones in Faiths hand broke and the grunt became a scream. Pivoting Mrs. Post threw Faith aside and raised her hand to the sky. "Let's end this little farce. TAOU FRIEM!"

In that moment time seemed to slow to a crawl.

**Faith P.O.V**

As she heard those words she knew that it was over, there was no way she'd be able to dodge the attack. Even with her slayer speed, her life would end because she had countered the roll from the throw and now she was at a dead still. But she was a slayer, even more she was Faith and if some psycho bitch was the one to end her she'd meet that end head on.

Turning her head towards where Mrs. Post was she saw the bolt of power as it streaked at her and defiance shone in her eyes. Mere feet from Faith the world disappeared in a supernova of light and she heard screams of pain. It took her a moment to realize that the screams weren't hers and that she wasn't being electrocuted to death, which caused her mind to go into overdrive trying to figure out what happened. The pained yelling "Faith, NOW!", that she barely recognized as Xanders voice, drew her out of those thoughts and she looked to where the yell had come from. What she saw would stretch a second into a lifetime.

Standing there a few feet from her was a man, his back turned to her and his hair blown back by the wind, his hands extended before him and a wall of flame in front of him. And for a moment the man grew a little larger and a cloak flowed off his back, then the man screamed again and the image faded back into who had just saved her. As the man dropped to his knee he turned to her and she saw the grimacing and determined face of Xander Harris looking back at her. "I can't hold it much longer," he said as muscles twitched all over his body "kill the bitch!"

With that demand/request Faiths world snapped back to normal speed and dashed around the wall of flame and charged Mrs. Post's position.

**Xander P.O.V**

'_Oh that hurt.'_ Xander struggled to try and get back onto his feet and back into the fight as he watched Faith dodging Gwendolyn Post's attacks. His efforts however were hampered by the fact that he had just taken a blast of pure electricity, and even if it only just tagged him it was still playing havoc with his nervous and muscular system, causing him to slip and tilt. As his vision blurred and cleared and his hearing went in and out he could just barely see Mrs. Post raise her hand as she spoke to faith, could barely hear what she said but when the words "TAOU FRIEM!" were uttered his world snapped back into picture perfect clarity.

If anyone had had a clear view of Xander Harris in that moment in time they would have seen the green of his eyes bled into the brown as they did the impossible and traced the lightning's path across the open air, his muscles tensing as they shook off their affliction preparing to move and his fangs bared in a show of anger. And then he was moving, much faster than he'd ever done when he was practicing, faster than he'd ever moved in his life. In that split second, much like Wallace Rudolph 'Wally' West riding the lightning for the first time, Alexander LaVelle 'Xander' Harris rode the flame.

Finding himself interposed between Faith and the incoming bolt of lightning, Xander knew the chances of their survival much less his were slim, so he did something that he had failed at every time he tried it. He had heard about Hound's wall of flame during an encounter with Buffy and had been trying, for a while now without much luck, to replicate it. But now he had to do it, he had both his and Faiths lives riding on this, so he reached deep down to where his flame resided and pulled, harder, with more force and more demanding than ever before. Seconds later a wall of flame sprung into being, stopping the blast of deadly energy.

Unfortunately for him the flame did not stop all of the power of the bolt and some passed into him, causing his muscles to go haywire and making him scream in agony. Gritting his teeth he called out "Faith, NOW!" as instead of stopping, Gwendolyn Post rained blast after blast at his shield. Dropping to his knee as he felt his shield beginning to give and seeing no movement from Faith he turned to look at her, an exercise in self-torture the way his muscles were seizing, on the floor looking at him with something in her eyes, gritting his teeth he yelled "I can't hold it much longer, kill the bitch!" and was rewarded by Faith snapping out of her stupor and running forward.

**General P.O.V **

As Gwendolyn Post rained down bolt after bolt of lightning at the idiotic boy who had audacity, and somehow the power, to think that he could defy her, her anger and engrossment caused her to miss Faiths dash into the shadows and toward her. And she didn't see, and barely felt it, when Faith slammed a fist into her temple knocking her out.

As the almost constant stream of lightning stopped Xander fell on his back, the wall of flame going out like a candle in a harsh breeze, wheezing as his muscles shock and he struggled to draw in much needed air. When Faith walked back over to him and stood over his head it took all he had to shift his head to look up at her. "You alright there X?"

"If you got her, then I'm fine," Xander said closing his eyes "if not, I'm going to sleep and she can kill there." Faiths foot nudging his shoulder forced him to open his eyes, tilting her head to indicate he should look. Letting his head roll to the side Xander saw Gwendolyn Post's unconscious form gagged and restrained by what used to be her jacket. Groaning he looked back up at Faith "You know, I'm not sure this was the better option." causing her to smile slightly as she offered him her hand.

* * *

><p><strong>A hill overlooking the graveyard<strong>

"Your whelps little pup is coming along." said a man who was smoking a cigar. He was 6'3'' dressed in a charcoal grey suit with a black shirt and a blood red tie with a clasp depicting a howling wolf. His long black hair fell around his head, his eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglass and a predatory air about him.

"Leave the kid alone Fenris." Cerberus said, standing beside the now identified 'Fenris'.

"You wound me cousin, I've no plans towards the boy." Fenris said with a look of innocence that would have made a saint look guilty by comparison, not that by the look Cerberus gave him did he believe it. "Fine, fine I'll leave the little pup be, for now."

Cerberus's remark was stopped as he tilted his head, a look of concentration on his face. "Son of a bitch, someone's playing with time and that idiot is caught up in it." He said before he simply vanished.

Fenris gave a smile that would have had the denizens of hell turning tail, as he watched Xander limping beside Faith who had Gwendolyn Post thrown over her shoulder. "I'll be seeing ya kid." He said and then vanished into the night.

* * *

><p><em>Same time Los Angeles, chamber of the Oracles<em>

A portal shimmered into existence as the Oracles looked on. The room was soon swallowed in an explosion of light hiding everything from sight. As the light slowly faded definition returned to the room, on the floor lay the motionless form of a man.

"There is no time to rest, our champion," The male Oracle began.

"We still have much for you to do." The female Oracle finished.

The man on the floor began to moan and groan as he rolled. He rolled on his back to reveal the face of the vampire with a soul, Angel. As he slowly opened his eyes and painfully began to climb to his knees the Oracles began to smile, the plans of The Powers would not be deterred.

**The End**

Did you seriously think the Powers would let someone destroy their plans without a fight?

Translation: 'Taou Freim' means 'Be Free'

Xander riding the flame is not a cheap shot to make him more powerful, it's in this case something purely instinctual that happened when he's too hurt to think well and one of his girls are in danger. It will also serve to explain some things Hound can do later.

Sorry about the delay but there was a death in the family and that's more important than a story.


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** None of this is mine, not Buffy the vampire slayer, not Charmed. Not any of the characters, books or spin-offs that came from them (if any). Sadly the only thing that is mine is the story idea, my intellectual property (Suck on that Joss Whedon, you too Aaron Spelling!). Not really though because some of your stuff is good.

**Broken Clock's and Restored Connections**

"RRRRRHHHHHHAAAAAA!" the tortured scream echoed through the ether, one singular eternal moment of insurmountable pain, stretched, reversed and repeated as all around him the flow of time twisted back upon itself. Not that he noticed. At the moment his entire world, his entire existence centered on pain, that he endured, and an urge to give in, that he resisted. He never noticed when someone else appeared in the little bubble that fought against the setback of time.

Kerberos watched as hellfire and shadow intermingled as they danced across Xanders cloak and body, trying to help their master win the fight against the backwards flow of time that threatened to rip him apart. He could help him, stabilizing his body or even pulling him from the stream of time wouldn't be all that difficult, but he'd chosen Alexander for a reason and as so would let him face his challenges on his own. Slowly but surely times backward sprint slows to a stop, then the flow of time moves forward once more; leaving a drained and gasping Xander kneeling on the floor.

"Good, you survived." Kerberos said causing Xanders head to whip around and stare at him, before he hung his head in pain. "But between you and me, you look like shit." Xander slowly got to his feet, hands resting on his knees as he glared at Kerberos's amused smile. "Really now, someone interrupts the natural flow of time, nearly killing you, and you want to spend your time making bedroom eyes at me?" At Xanders growl Kerberos blurred forward, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him into the air. "Remember your place _pup_; your fangs are nowhere near sharp enough to snap at me." When Xander lowered his eyes in acceptance, anger still burning in them, Kerberos dropped him back to his feet.

Standing to his full height the visage of Xander Harris retreated as Hound once more took the fore. "Who did it?"

"Now that would be telling. And while I can't do that, I can point you in right direction." With a wave of Kerberos's hand Hound burst apart into pitch black embers that vanished into the wind. "Hmm not how I'd have done it, but it suits you. Now to see who's been screwing around." In a moment the early morning street was once again vacant.

* * *

><p><em>Halliwell Manor<em>

(**A/N:** as far as the Charmed Ones know so far Hound is a demon and they will refer to him as such.)

**Prue's P.O.V**

Shax had just forced his way past the wards into the living room and spotted his target, Dr. Griffiths. From her position on the ground Prue could see what was going to happen, Shax would kill the doctor, preventing any good that he was meant to do. Rushing to her feet she pushed Dr. Griffith out of the way, just in time to watch as an energy ball soared towards her. She closed her eyes in preparation for the impact and ensuing pain, seconds later she feels her body flying through the air and impacting something before falling to the ground.

Her body hurt, a lot, but much less than it should after being hit by an energy ball. Opening her eyes she saw that she was on her back on the floor, the living room couch on its back as well, probably hitting that was the reason for most of the pain in her back. Taking a quick look around her she saw that the room was in disarray, the furniture thrown back from their positions in the room like so much debris pushed back by an explosion.

"Who did it?"

The cold deep voice dripping with barely restrained violence nearly stopped her movements, peeking over the top of the overturned couch she saw a man (demon?) who she assumed was responsible for the current state of her living room. From what little she could actually see, his cloak hid most of him from view, he was tall, broad shouldered and staring at Shax.

**General P.O.V**

As the energy ball flew towards on Prudence 'Prue' Halliwell wisps of flame began to appear, before slamming together into the agitated form of Hound, throwing people and furniture away from his general area. So focused were the beings in the room that no one noticed the scorched and broken section of the ceiling. Turning his eyes on the only one in the room that appeared out of place, the demon assassin Shax, he spoke. "Who did it?"

Ignoring the question Shax responded "Leave, this is my mission." This was not what Hound wanted to hear and Shax would soon learn the price of that. A fist slammed into Shax's sternum, knocking his breathe from his lungs, before a hand gripped his throat with almost crushing force.

"Who turned back the hands of time?" Hound growled into Shax's face, slowly increasing the pressure on the demons throat or at least that was what he had intended. As he squeezed his hand suddenly snapped shut on empty air as Shax turned himself into wind and rematerialized on the far side of the room gripping his throat.

"What are you doing fool, your interfering with a mission direct from The Source himself!" Shax said as he threw another energy ball at Hound.

Reaching out as he walked forward, Hound simply grabbed and shattered the energy ball. "Tell me!" Seeing the ease with which his energy balls were dealt with Shax threw his hand forward, releasing a torrent of wind that threw Hound back through the air before impacting the wall with a deep resounding thud. The force of the collision threw up dust that mixed with the remains of the gusting wind and hide him from view.

**Close up on Hound**

As Hound spun through the air the cloak stretched and shrunk, twisting itself around his arms from the tops of his shoulders to his knuckles. The end result was that both his arms appeared to have been bandaged in night, leaving only his fingers and claws free. Whirling through the air he saw the oncoming wall and prepared for impact, claws growing longer, legs and arms flexing. At the last second he added more spin to his momentum, slamming his boots and hands into the wall, flexing his spine to weaken the impact. As the dust and wind whipped around him, tossing his hair around like waves in a hurricane, he glared out at Shax.

**General P.O.V**

The second that Hound had slammed into the wall Shax had declared him dead in his own mind and turned to finish his mission. Only to find his target and the two witches staring wide eyed, not at him but at the final resting place of the interloper. Something, if asked he couldn't have explained what, made him turn around and what he saw brought up both fear and excitement. Staring out of the heavy cloud of dust and wind was a pair of the coldest, hate filled blood red eyes he had ever seen.

As the wind died down and the dust cleared Hound was revealed to the room, crouched on the wall glaring at Shax like some great predatory beast deciding that this was the prey it was going to bring down. Upon seeing him the occupants of the room had different and wildly varying reactions. The first was simple deciding that this was the final straw in a bad situation and it didn't want to deal with it anymore, the doctors mind shut down i.e. Dr. Griffiths fainted. Pipers first thought was that she wished these two would stop destroying her house, which was quickly followed by where's Phoebe. Prue was surprised at the fact that this demon was very good looking, that thought was quickly struck down by the promise that she would not pull a Phoebe.

Shax was shivering in anticipation, finally a challenge. Centuries as an assassin for The Source had allowed him to perfect his craft, but as his skill increased the challenge diminished. And here was someone that gotten inside his guard in seconds, brushed aside his energy balls and survived a brush with his power over wind. Now after so long there was someone who could make his life interesting again. A smile growing on his face Shax decided, he'd have his fun then kill his target when he was finished. At some unseen signal the combatants clashed once more.

Shax unleashed a hail of energy balls that forced Hound off the wall and on the move. As he ran across the floor, energy balls impacting damaging and destroying things behind him the two witches present had the good sense to duck. With a forceful step Hound changed his direction, ducking under the energy balls and heading for Shax himself, which Shax responded to by throwing a vortex of wind at him. The mini tornado quickly vanishing he prepared to unleash another barrage of energy balls at the wall bound Hound, only to find him not on the wall and catch a knee to the side of the head. As he chased after Shax's rolling body he was caught off guard by another blast of wind, this one catching him the chest and throwing him back and towards the ceiling. Bending backwards Hound hooked his feet around the chandelier, slapped his palms against the ceiling and used the momentum of the swing to launch himself back at Shax.

Seeing the incoming Hound, Shax rolled out of the way narrowly avoiding the stomping foot that left a small crater behind. Angered at the continuing damage to the house Piper leapt up and attempted to freeze the fighters, only for them to shrug it off before being pulled back down by Prue. "What the hell is wrong with you, do you want to have your head blown off?"

Piper angrily stared back at her sister "Do you know how much it's going to cost to repair all this?"

"Better the house than us, Right?" to which Piper could only grudgingly nod an affirmative before they turned back to the fight.

As Shax leapt backwards he smiled as Hound took the bait and jumped after him, leaving him hanging in mid-air with nowhere to go, allowing Shax to unleash another blast of gale force winds at him. With the wind coming to him Hound berated himself for not seeing through such a childish tactic, the drain from the rewind must have been affecting him more than he'd guessed. Deciding to end this fight before something else happened Hound let loose a blast of flame from his mouth, released a short blast of hellfire from under his left foot, superheating the air to a near solid state and used his right to kick off of it.

Bursting through the wall of hellfire that had devoured the wind Hound slammed his fist into Shax's face, the force of the blow slamming the demon assassin into a wall, then kicked off of another piece of superheated air. Spinning in the air he delivered a spinning back kick that cracked Shax's ribs, pushing him deeper into the wall and stopping his own forward rush. Bending at the hip he smashed an overhead punch into Shax's face, breaking his nose, and using his other hand grabbed the demon by the shoulder and drove his knee into the cracked ribs, breaking them. His hand still gripping Shax's shoulder and his leg straightening back out, gravity took hold of Hound once more bringing to the ground.

Snaking out his hand slammed into Shax's chest, palm first, pinning his wheezing and battered form to the wall. "Now tell me, who turned back time?" When Shax remained silent Hound increased the pressure of his hand, pushing down on Shax's broken ribs until he screamed out in pain. Pressed against the wall screaming in pain, Shax's mind was in overdrive. This wasn't supposed to happen, he would toy with this opponent before killing him and then eliminate the target….maybe even one of the witches. Instead here he was beaten and battered, restrained against a wall like some two bit minion. The pressure on his chest increasing he wracked his mind, what about time, turning back right, who turned back time, who could turn back time, time, time….time! "Tempus!" the name slipping out as it came to him.

"Tempus? Who's that and where do I find him?" Hound questioned as he continued to push harder on Shax's ribs.

"I don't know! Argg!" feeling his ribs grate against each other he looked into those cold crimson eyes that demanded an answer "Really, I don't know. No one does!" The pressure on his ribs jumped dramatically and he coughed up blood. "The Source is the only one that knows how to contact him!"

"And where d…." all of a sudden Hound felt his vision dim and his body beginning to sway. Feeling the pressure on his chest become almost non-existent, Shax pushed the swaying Hound away, turned into his wind form and headed for the door. He'd escape, recover and kill the doctor, then find and eliminate this troublesome demon. "NO!" recovering and seeing the escaping Shax, Hound called up a wall of hellfire in front of the fleeing demon to halt his egress. Unfortunately in his current condition his control was not where it would normally be and instead of simply blocking the demons path, the hellfire leapt forward and engulfed the demon. Screaming in agony Shax tried to revert to his physical form, only making it halfway before his body was consumed and used as fuel for the errant flames. Reaching out Hound fought the flames back under control and snuffed them out. Then consciousness left him and he dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, the bandaging returning to the form of his tattered black cloak as he fell.

Prue and Piper carefully made their way to the unconscious form of Hound until they were standing over him. Nudging him with her foot to make sure that he wasn't faking Prue said "What do we do with him?"

Outside the film crew down the street wondered about some of the noises that they had heard coming from the house up the block, but not seeing anything of interest diligently stayed and finished their shoot.

* * *

><p><em>Chamber of The Elders<em>

"We have to remove this nuisance, it is bad enough that he hinders The Powers plans but now he interferes with ours." said one of the robbed members that made up The Elders, the upper echelon of the whitelighters.

Another elder, this one a female with graying brown hair, spoke up. "Our best chance is now, with him apparently weakened from his battle with Shax, we could send someone to eradicate this threat." After she finished the other elders seemed to agree with her, some contemplating who to send.

"But you won't." as everyone looked around the room to see who had spoken Kerberos stepped out from behind a pillar.

The elder Odin glared at Kerberos as he spoke "Your kind isn't welcome in these chambers." Derision and disdain in his voice as he continued "nor have you the power to dictate our actions; you don't have enough power here."

Kerberos's loud laughter flooded the room as he slowly walked forward "There's that arrogance I love so much, but you really should pay more attention." As he closed his hand into a fist the room began to tremble and shiver, a vicious smile adorning his face. "My Chosen walk this world once more and my grip on this reality increase's every day. Now as I said you…shall…do…nothing." A cold wind washed over the room as Kerberos stopped speaking and the room stopped its attempt to shake itself apart.

Gather himself Odin made one more ploy to regain control of the situation. "Be that as it may, this situation concerns the Charmed Ones and as such falls under our authority, so we will act in their best interests."

"The revelation of the existence of magic, yes that was quite a situation wasn't it lost one of the Charmed Ones. Piper I believe?"

Seeing a chance to gain a more favorable position Odin continued. "Yes and we corrected the situation so….." he was cut off when Kerberos interrupted, sitting in a plush chair that hadn't been there a moment ago.

"You see I have a theory about that, want to hear it?" He never gave them a chance to answer. "I think old sourcy boy planned that whole revealing magic to the world thing in the hopes of killing one of the sisters, and he got his wish. But you didn't like that, not the fact that one of them died just the fact that it was your leverage over their whitelighter that bit the dust. So instead of sending the Cleaners to fix the little debacle you, the Source and maybe someone else made some kind of deal. Tempus turns back the hands of time, one of the sisters still dies and since Phoebe wasn't there I'm thinking that Prue was your target." The expressions on the faces of the elders ran the gamut from shock and surprise to fearful. "But that would deprive you of the vaunted power of three, something that you'd never risk. So I got to thinking, are you risking it or just removing a pawn that's grown dissatisfied with your 'guidance' and too powerful to ignore, to replace her with one that's easier to control…..now I can't prove anything…..yet, but it's a good theory don't you think."

One of the elders, a man named Kheel, rose from his seat as he began to speak. "You have no proof of these accusations!"

"Accusations, what accusations, all I did was present a theory." Kerberos said with an innocent smile, while his eyes gave a knowing twinkle. "However if you make an attempt on that man, I might be inclined to take a deeper look at my _theory_. Well, have a good day." A portal opened behind his seat revealing an infernal landscape that was quickly overshadowed by a massive three headed canine, another of Kerberos's aspects, which turned one of its head's to grip the chair in its jaws dragging the chair and a smiling Kerberos through the portal before it shut.

* * *

><p><em>The Source's Chamber, Underworld<em>

He'd retreated to his chambers after Shax's death at the hands of an unknown demon. That had been why he had come here, he didn't know or know about this demon and that should have been nearly impossible. He'd seen so many varieties of demons in his time as The Source, and with the knowledge granted him by the essence of The Source, there was barely a 1 in a billion chance of him not knowing what type of demon he was seeing.

While The Source ranted and raved trying to discover the identity of who had killed his assassin, the source essence itself was thinking and planning. It had existed within one Source after another, guiding and controlling from behind the scenes, from within and now it thought that it was time for a change. This vessel had served it well but the damage, both physical and mental; that it had taken in a fight long ago had been growing, eating away at the vessels sanity and to keep the position and title of The Source strong it would have to be replaced. It was a simple matter really, just get the vessel and the replacement vessel in the same room, push the vessel into starting a fight and at a crucial moment withhold its power and allow the vessel to be killed. Once the vessel was dead it could inhabit the new vessel….and it already had the perfect replacement vessel in mind and on hand, Balthazar. All it would have to do was burn out the human taint that was Cole and Balthazar would make a perfect vessel. A little push and it influenced The Source to demand Balthazar's presence.

When one of the demons on guard informed him that somehow both Balthazar and his witch had escaped The Source was livid, going around and destroying all the demons involved in guarding them. The source essence allowed this, encouraged it even, so that it could plot and plan to replace this flawed vessel.

* * *

><p><em>Night, Halliwell Manor<em>

The three sisters stared at the Book of Shadows that rested open in front of them. They had come up to the attic because of a feeling that Phoebe couldn't shake, and had stumbled upon this little predicament. The Book of Shadows wouldn't turn, no matter how they tried it stay one the same page, the same spell….'To Call A Witch's Power'.

**Flashback**

Having escaped from the underworld alongside Cole, with the aid of Leo, Phoebe had thought herself ready to face whatever she found at home. What she found was the Manor in disarray, damaged furniture scattered about, holes and scorch marks on almost every surface and no sign of life in the living room. Calling out for her sisters she was ecstatic when Piper came out of the kitchen and almost hugged her to death.

Piper's tale of Shax's attack and the demon that had killed him had surprised them all; especially Cole as he didn't know which demon would want to make an outright enemy of The Source. Cole's outburst at the fact that Prue was now apparently alone with a demon that had killed one of The Source's premiere assassins had them running up the stairs followed by Piper who was trying to tell them something. Upon reaching Prue's room they had thrown open the door to find….Prue sitting on her bed beside an unconscious man, gently moving his long hair form his face. Having heard her door slam against the wall Prue jumped up and away from her bed, seeing everyone standing in her doorway she almost wished it had been a demon attack.

Seeing her sister basically petting an, admittedly handsome, demon there was only one thing Phoebe could say "Looks like I'm not the only one with a thing for demon bad boys." The mini teasing fest, started when Prue responded that she didn't date demons, was quickly cut off by Leo yelping and orbing away from the black flames that had attack him when he neared the sleeping demon that he had been drawing closer to. Cole was treated to the same rush of attacking flame when he tried to get closer to identify the man, barely shimmering away in time and being forced to remove his flaming shirt.

When Prue had stepped back towards the sleeping demon, under the pretense that she hadn't been attack before, and wasn't attacked by the black flames, Piper and Phoebe slowly and carefully approached as well. The fact that the fire hadn't attacked the witch's led them to believe that the demon, even unconscious, saw Cole and Leo as threats and was protecting himself. Deciding to have a little more fun with Prue, Phoebe went to brush the remainder of the hair off the sleeping demons face. As her hand came into contact with his skin black flame leapt up and surrounded her, causing her to stiffen mouth open ready to scream. Seconds later the flames rushed back from Phoebe and into the sleeping man, leaving her surprised and unharmed.

In that brief moment when Phoebe had been shrouded in hellfire, two legendary powers had touched once more. Through the sleeping form of Hound, the power of the True Hound Kerberos used Phoebe Halliwell as a bridge to reach the Book of Shadows and the power of the Warren line. The severing of the link between these two powers left a small but growing urge to check the Book within Phoebe.

**End Flashback**

Deciding to do what the Book wanted them to do; the sisters began to recite the spell. "Powers of the witches rise, Course unseen across the skies," as they chanted power built up in the room, causing the hairs on their arms to rise. "Come to us who call you near, Come to us and settle here!" As they finished the spell the energy that had been building in the room slammed into them, knocking them to the ground, before rushing outward, the pages in the Book of Shadows rushing one after the other before stopping on a page.

Pulling themselves up off the ground, the Charmed Ones checked themselves to make sure that they were okay before Phoebe went to check the Book. Her laughter brought Prue and Piper over asking what was so funny. Looking at Prue she smirked as she pointed at the page and said "Not a demon." Wondering what Phoebe was talking about Prue looked at the page entitled 'High Hound'.

* * *

><p><em>Miles across town<em>

Paige Matthews gasped as she awoke from her dream. It had felt so real, she could remember the voices calling out to here and trying to reach them only to suddenly fall. Her eyes focusing she realized that she wasn't in her room, in fact she _was_ falling, she promptly did what any reasonable human being would do and began to scream her little lungs out. The wind whipping by, stinging her eyes and stealing her voice, as she fell towards the hard and unforgiving pavement she shut her eyes.

Mere feet before she hit the pavement she disappeared in a shower of lights, appearing in her bedroom and dropping down on her bed and bouncing off onto the floor. Dragging herself up into a kneeling position leaning her upper body on her bed she wonder what the hell was going on.

**The End**

I might have read one too many Stephen King novels in my youth, because I'm beginning to realize that there are plots within plots within plots in my stories (sometimes I don't even know the entire scope of the plot until it's too late). This little scheme is probably the easiest and shortest, only spanning the end of the last chapter and part of this one. Try to spot it.


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Buffy, Charmed or any of the Mythos shown here. I do own the horror that I perpetrate on them, but I do it in love. Sorry for the long wait, but I've decided to do a Sunnydale concentrated spin-off of this story and am trying to link up the timelines. By the way, there will be little to no amount of violence in this installment as somehow emotion has found its way into my mindless orgy of blood and violence.

**Opportunities, Missed and Otherwise**

Consciousness returned in a flash, combat honed instincts evaluating and assessing his situation and surroundings before his eyes were even open. His last memory, the one of killing the demon replayed through his mind as he picked through it to find the pieces of information that he needed. In a blur of motion his eyes were open, surveying the room, and he was on his feet. A quick internal check showed he was back up to snuff, rolling his shoulders as the cloak once more became a leather jacket he headed to the closed door. Opening the door he stepped out into what he believed to be a second story hallway, figuring someone had been thankful for the save and put him in the room to recover, and headed for the stairs.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs he found what looked to be the people who owned it caught up in renovations. His entrance had however gained him the attention of one of the women sitting on a stool chipping off burnt paint. The woman's face lit up and she screamed "Prue, your special friends awake!" Moments later another woman was standing in front of him, just as –if not more- attractive as the other and a little taller. She eyed him questioningly, with something else flashing in her eyes for a moment, seeming to decide on a course of action before speaking.

"Where are you going?" Her voice was strong, calm and focused as she spoke. But what drew his attention was the way her tongue peeked out and licked against her ruby red lips.

A part of hated him hated himself for it. When Elia had been taken from him he had thrown away his humanity to become The Hound, he had thought himself done with it. Ever since he had arrived in this reality though it had begun to come back almost immediately, the cold lump of rock he called a heart had first started beating again when he had seen the pain and love for her watcher in Faiths eyes. Finding alternates of those he had loved like family had re-awoken the protective instinct in him, even if he hid it well and now here he stood staring at woman, a witch, and actually thinking of answering her question. Before the return of his damnable emotions he would have simple pushed her aside, if she had been lucky enough to survive, and gone about his business and now he was stuck here reeling in his hormones like some love struck teen.

Drawing his gaze from her lips to her eyes he spoke. "I'm going to find my bike." Stepping around her and walking away before he finished speaking, his hand paused gripping the doorknob when she spoke.

"Part of the ceiling needs to be replaced, the walls need to be repaired and repainted, and some of the furniture needs to be fixed. You can help, right?" As she spoke he could hear the slight tremble in her voice, it was more reassuring herself than actually questioning.

"Yeah… maybe." He tried not to notice the emotion that made his voice deeper and huskier than usual. "Maybe." Wanting to get away from this situation as quickly as possible, Xander opened the door and left the Manor as fast as he could, without actually running.

Walking down the sidewalk, hands in his jeans pockets, he tried to push the thoughts and feelings the woman, no Prue had stirred up in him. He shouldn't be feeling like this, it was a disservice to Elia's memory. He needed to ride, to clear his head but to do that he had to find his bike. Add to the fact the city was a big place, time had been rewound so it was somewhere he had been the day before, plus he had been out of commission for who knows how long. That meant that anything could have happened to it and it could be anywhere. Xander angrily grumbled "I need to find my damned…." In mid-step Xander flowed apart in a wave of black and red flames.

Two and a half miles away wisps of black red flame began to appear in the air before crashing together and resolving into the surprised form of Xander. "….bike." Leaning on its kickstand a few feet from him was his bike, and he was happy to see it he really was but taking a look around he realized that something had happened. Feeling the same tingling he had felt when he appeared in the Manor before fighting Shax he began to curse. "Fuck, couldn't let me have a normal fucked up day, could you. No you had to add this shit to it." He'd already figured out what was happening, he had a new power. The first time Cerberus had had been there and he had attributed it to him, but now he was alone which meant that he had teleported himself. This just made everything perfect, because now on top of problems he already had, he had to deal with learning to control and use a new ability.

Releasing a grunt of frustration he straddled his bike, closed his eyes and cleared his mind. Opening them he started the engine and pulled away from the curb into the flow of traffic, intent on getting out of this city before it did anything else to him. As Xander rode away he payed no attention to two men getting out of a black muscle car, the driver a tall man with dark hair and a roguish smile while the other was taller with sandy hair and a trustworthy face. Neither did he notice a well-dressed man in a suit watching the men from across the street. In a stroke of unusual luck he was able to ride away without getting mixed up in anything else.

* * *

><p><em>Later<em>

Someone was out to get him, that was the only explanation that he could come up with. He had been riding on the highway, leaving San Francisco behind him when he remembered he had no idea how to find this 'Source' so that he could get to Tempus. No idea that is except the house which contained the woman he was currently running from. Gritting his teeth in frustration he had turned around and headed back into the city before realizing he didn't know where the house was, he had originally teleported into it and he had teleported again outside of it. He could try teleporting again but there was no way he was going to risk his bike, so that was out. He'd almost crashed the bike when it happened, his vision blurred then solidified and somehow he felt where they were.

No that wasn't right he didn't feel, he simply knew, knew that he could find them by reaching out through his power. He knew where they were, four in the city- three together (most likely the women) and one alone, the final one was to the west of the city back towards Sunnydale. Locking in the pulse of the three gathered presences, he bore down on the throttle, hurtling through the mid-day traffic like a man on fire.

A fifteen minute ride later found him sitting on his bike, feet on the ground, looking across the street at the manor house. He wasn't scared to go in, no not at all. There was just something about the Manor house, something inviting and yet wrong underneath he just couldn't put his finger on it. Pushing that line of thought aside he got off the bike and headed towards the front door. Gripping the door knob he began to turn before realizing that it would most likely be locked, slightly surprised when he found the door to be open. Pushing it aside he stepped into the foyer, a feeling of something washing over him, like it was looking at him, before vanishing.

Walking into the living room he found it empty, hearing voices coming from the adjoining room he pushed open the door and found the three witches talking to a blonde haired man, who he almost wanted to hit. The conversation died down when they noticed him, all eyes coming to rest on him. For a moment no one spoke, Piper, Phoebe and Leo stunned that he had actually come back while Xander and Prue's gazes were locked on one another. Then his head tips forward a fraction, just enough for the lip of the hood of his cloak to hide his eyes. "Tempus, where do I find him?"

A small tremor of shock ran through the room before it was replaced by tension and distrust. What were the chances that the being that had saved them from Shax's attack would randomly ask about the demon they had just found out had been messing with time in an attempt to have them killed. The events that took place next did not increase their desire to trust him any further. Annoyed with the lack of an answer Xander spoke again "Or The Source, tell me where he…" stopping as he felt power coalescing behind him. With speed and skill born of familiarity he threw his elbow backwards into the surprised face of Cole. Following through with the spin motion he turned around grabbing one of Cole's outstretched arms in an arm lock, causing him to straighten out on instinct to avoid damaging his arm. Using the rigidity of Cole's body he slammed his chest and face into the islands surface, cracking it, then with a greater application of force snapped Cole's shoulder out of the socket and drove his body harder against the island causing it to break.

As Xander drew his arm back and let it ignite the room broke into a chaotic orchestra of movement. With a yell Phoebe threw herself forward to cover her boyfriend's downed form, Prue yelled for him to stop and Piper tried to blow him up. As Xander stumbled backwards from the force of Piper's attack Leo let his head fall into his hands at the prospect of something else he would have to repair. "Son of a bitch! I risk my neck going to the underworld to get information and this is my thank you!" groused Cole as he gently shouldered Phoebe off of him and sat up glaring at Xander.

Taking charge of the situation Prue placed herself between her sisters (and their boyfriends) and Xander and tried to mitigate what was possibly a volatile situation. "Okay everyone needs to calm down, now." The authority in her voice demanding that she be obeyed, she looked at Phoebe and Piper " You guys take care of Cole," before whirling on Xander anger in her eyes "and you, we need to talk."

She placated her sisters concerns and ignored Cole's still angry glare. With one last look at her sisters, that clearly said do not follow me, Prue walked up the stairs with Xander following close behind. All the while trying to disregard the heat that spread through her body as she felt his eyes on her.

* * *

><p><em>Minutes later<em>

Xander had not been happy to find out that Tempus was dead. A perfect target to take out his anger on and get himself back under control, gone, this really wasn't his day. Right now all his annoyance and anger was targeted on the insufferable little witch standing in front of him that seemed to take pleasure in messing him up. Prue wasn't in any better shape, yeah the guy was handsome but damn if he wasn't getting on her nerves with his entitled and aggressive demeanor. It wasn't like it was her fault that Tempus was dead already or that he had anger issues.

One moment they're in the middle of the room glaring at each other, the next her back is pressed against the wall, their lips mashed together. The claws on Xanders left hand digging a furrow into the wall beside Prue's head as she bit his lower lip drawing blood, which is swiftly licked up by her tongue, as she demanded entrance into his mouth. Prue's hands entwined in his hair, keeping him close while their tongues dueled for supremacy, passing back and forth between the confines of their mouths, teeth occasionally nipping at a tongue as it retreated. A low throaty moan escaped Prue's lips as Xander lifted her leg pressing it against his side as his hand slowing ran up her thigh, his claws leaving goose bumps and a trail of heat in their wake.

Xander alternated between biting and licking on Prue's neck, his tongue and teeth teasing her warm skin and the fast pumping vein that rested beneath. As Prue's hands slipped into the confines of Xanders jacket it shifted into its cloak form, fluttered to the floor allowing her to freely run her hands up and down his upper body. His response was to grab her other leg and lift it around his waist, causing her to lock her ankles behind his back, shift the hand that had been in/against the wall to hold her up and massage her supple ass at the same time. Prue bit down hard on Xanders neck lightly breaking the skin, flexed her back pushing them off the wall only for Xander to use the motion to spin them around slamming her back into the wall a little ways from where they started and release a deep possessive growl into the hollow of her neck.

This example of less than gentle foreplay goes on for a while, traversing most of the room until it is interrupted by an ear shattering scream.

* * *

><p><em>Downstairs <em>

Piper and Phoebe had been a little wary of allowing their sister to be alone with the volatile not-demon, especially after he ripped off part of the island in the middle of the kitchen. But they had allowed it due to Prue's insistence that she would be fine and the fact that they had to pop Cole's arm back in its socket, disinfect and bandage the wounds left by their guest claws. And seriously somebody had to get his name soon. Piper's voice brought her out of her musings "What do you think their talking about up there."

"Well we haven't heard screams or bodies being blasted into walls yet, so I'd say everything's fine."

Cole looked at Phoebe with some annoyance "Fine? He ripped my arm out of the socket! I'd appreciated it if your sister at the very least put him through a wall, or two." The sound of a heavy thump from above their heads caused everyone to look up before looking at Cole. "What? Come on you cannot blame for that."

In an attempt to calm the tension in the room Leo came to Cole's defense. "You know what he's probably right. There's nothing going on up there, it's just the house settling from the fight." For a few moments the silence holds, then another slam is heard and his head drops in surrender as the sisters and Cole file out of the kitchen. Sighing he gets up and slowly follows behind, breaking into a run at Pipers screaming voice.

* * *

><p><em>Upstairs, Prue's room<em>

Piper Halliwell stared in shock at the state of the room and its tattered state. Prue's room was in tatters; the glass in her vanity broken, the vanity itself pressed into the far wall scratch marks marking its progress across the hardwood floor, there were gouges and claw marks on the walls, furniture and floor. Even Prue's four-poster bed hadn't been spared, one of its legs had been broken causing it to tilt to the right and the currently rumpled and mussed mattress and sheets were hanging most of the way off the bed frame.

Phoebe's attention however was on the two occupants of said room, who were at the moment pressed half into the corner of the room sucking face like a pair of horny teenagers. Prue's legs were still wrapped around a shirtless Xander; however her shirt was now off as well, barely hanging on where it was still tucked into the back of her pants. Phoebe felt a small smile grow on her face as she watched the two sweaty, heavy breathing people continue without noticing that they were no longer alone. The smile gave way to a grimace as Piper screamed right next to her ear.

As Prue and Xander registered the presence of others in the room they separated causing a combined gasp from the sisters as they got a look at Prue. She was glistening and panting as her chest enclosed in a silky black bra fell and rose in time with her breathing, her lips were kiss swollen, her eyes wild and her hair a mess. What really drew there attention was the changes to her features that had not been present minutes earlier. Her hair and eyes had taken on a darker hue, sharp pointed fangs peeked out from behind her parted lips and her fingernails had lengthened into short but wicked looking claws.

Remembering Zile's attempt to gain the Power of Three by marrying Prue, Piper launched an attack at Xander. Where her power would usually cause its target to explode this time it merely snapped his shoulder back and to the side. The attack however did have another affect as the lust addled minds of Xander and Prue shifted over into anger. Two distinct and terrifying growls filled the room as Xander (his eyes giving off a dark glow) and Prue began to advance, fangs bared and hands flexing.

Prue and Xander were completely focused on killing the people who had interrupted their mating and attacked them as they moved forward. As they crouched to leap a wave of calm, comfort and dominance passed through their minds accompanied by a feminine voice _'Sleep.'_ And like marionettes with their strings cut they fell to the ground in a deep slumber. As Piper, Phoebe, Cole and Leo stood watching as Prue's body shifted back to its normal appearance Phoebe spoke up "And our family keeps getting weirder."

* * *

><p><em>Teacklins Restaurant<em>

Two men sat fidgeting in their chairs under the glare of a very attractive caramel skinned woman, two men who were in fact not men but powerful and feared gods/god-like beings. Neither dared to speak because while they could take the woman in a fight if need be, it would be a hard won battle and one they would be paying for for at least a couple dozen centuries. After all Sarama was not a woman/goddess to be trifled with on the best of days, for she could truly live up to her title 'Bitch of the Gods' just as easily as she could be the benevolent 'Mother of all Dogs'.

"I'm stepping in, otherwise this one will end up as a failure like all the others. Did you happen to notice what happened today, his little lapse of control? All that repressing his emotions and his animal self, he's going to self-destruct. And we don't have the time to find and prepare someone else before this reality falls." Sighing at the defiant looks beginning to rise on the faces of Cerberus and Fenrisulfr she pressed on. "Anyway you two spend too much time *personally* meddling in this realm, some of the others are starting to get suspicious."

"Fine," growled out Cerberus as he stood "but I will not see another reality fall to Adam, I'll step in personally before I let it happen."

Sarama looked dead in his eyes as she spoke "And I would be right there beside you, but hopefully with me playing my part it shouldn't have to come to that." Turning her head she looked at Fenris as he lit a cigarette. "And your decision?"

Slipping on his coat as he stood Fenrir replied without looking back. "It has been some time since I last saw father. The old man could do with a visit." Moments later only Sarama remained at the table.

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